


Unholy Atonement

by NxnsxgnorsDxmon



Series: Nunsignor Short Books [4]
Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Asylum
Genre: Adorable, Afterlife, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Kissing, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Cute, Death, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drama, Drama & Romance, Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, French Kissing, Friendship/Love, Ghost Sex, Happy, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Hugs, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, Major Character(s), Mild Sexual Content, Neck Kissing, No Angst, No Porn, No Sex, Older Woman, Older Woman/Younger Man, Oral Sex, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Sex, Platonic Soulmates, Porn, Porn with Feelings, Purgatory, Purgatory Sex, Rival Sex, Rivalry, Romance, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Secret Relationship, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Surprise Kissing, Sweet, Unhealthy Relationships, Unrequited Love, Vaginal Sex, Young, nunsignor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-25 21:47:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18171860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NxnsxgnorsDxmon/pseuds/NxnsxgnorsDxmon
Summary: Another Nunsignor Purgatory story!!!Once the sinners set a foot in the purgatory, what actually awaits them? An adventure by choosing between heavenly heaven with its sacred ending of their eternal ethereal souls or otherwise agonize by dwelling in the depths of the scorching hell with its demons, anticipating the recently arrived sinner in his new home.{Warning: Explicit content, Strong language, Sexual content}





	1. Darkness

__

 

 

_Once the sinners set a foot in the purgatory, what actually awaits them? An adventure by choosing between heavenly heaven with its sacred ending of their eternal ethereal souls or otherwise agonize by dwelling in the depths of the scorching hell with its demons, anticipating the recently arrived sinner in his new home._

What’s the destiny of a person especially a former inhabitant of the mortal world, who wasn’t actually a saint?

 An ex-man of the cloth, known for his celibacy, blinding, lunatic divine Rome dream once he shared with his cryptical love interest who had intense, discreet love feelings for him by the way she smiled to him, nurtured him and shared such pieces of prominent, sweet moments together, pictured in their coq-au-vin Friday night dinners as usually. Nevertheless, the reason for his unholyness was not only the demon’s violation towards him by depriving his virtue as it resembled temporal gold dust in the vacuum, but also his false promises to the love of his life who was in center of his mind even seconds before committing suicide as his remorses resurfaced in his mingled, hectic mind behind Briarcliff’s investigation, Dr.Arden’s mysteriously disappeared patients and most of all, Jude.

His Jude. Once he had by his side as his own chosen right hand, calling her proudly, encouragingly a rara avis. His rare bird. Thanks to her foes, the rare bird lost its value in his own scintillated chocolate brown eyes. Scintillated by Dr.Arden, once their favorite young nun and the serial killer, known the best as murderous Santa Claus Leigh Emerson’s pretty, sweet lies as they lingered as lights on his eyelids, blocking his view in front of the ugly truth which Jude has incessantly told him and was even telling him. Not only he imprisoned her in the asylum where they shared dreams along, further, his ego and Rome dream were his salvation from the truth, she has already told as if it’s a whisper in the barren desert. As soon as he was no longer in Boston and Briarcliff was being sold to the state, hence, he didn’t keep his wits about the woman, who played a major role in his remorses. Years later when Lana’s return finished him with Briarcliff’s investigation and the unanswered questions behind the sadism towards patients took its place in Briarcliff once, he did have limited opportunities. Hesitating between accepting the relentless, criminal consequences of his actions and deeds and probably return for the love of his life or otherwise his salvation by ending his life in the bloodiest way, leaving lack of tracks behind its unsolved mysteries of the investigation. Due to his apprehension, consequently he has chosen to slit his wrists by finding the best solution for concluding his bland, full of hazards life.

His palms caressed profligatingly stones as he felt something underneath his mammoth hands something solider than cotton. Even worse. He just laid on his stomach as laxly shut his eyelids like blinds. His motionless baby pinkish lips didn’t move a single muscle even motion. Dim breeze played even fondled his chestnut hair as if his lover was stroking gingerly his hair by pleasuring him. Little did he know where’s his current location after dying in the bathroom by slitting his wrists in the face of God’s judgmental glares.

 Well, the former man of the cloth, felt nothing. Neither a rough headache. Nor anything else. It was oblivious for him when it was the last time when pain has swept his organs even muscles and body. Even when the juvenile holy man slit his wrists, the last thing he can recall was actually contemplating spurting thick, marvelous blood of his slashed wrists, feeling no pain. Feeling almost nothing but the gore pooling his feet as if a sculpture was standing on the marble floor in immobile manner. His eyes fixed on the ceiling, feeling the shame gnawing him even eating him alive without averting his eyes from the ceiling for a single second, in fact, he didn’t want to witness his gradual downfall, losing insane quantity of blood.

As soon as Timothy came to his senses, he set free an unwilling gasp by opening his eyes as his vision appeared initially blurry until he rubbed with his fists his drowsy eyelids, waking up from the death’s coma.

 

“Where am I? What’s this place?” His chocolate brown eyes turned at each side of his surroundings which encircled him as the young man wondered where the afterlife sent him right away.

 

When he got from the ground where his corpse laid, it took him a while to scan the place just like how it looked like. A grand goth, old castle was a several feet away from him. Grayish, bleak yard encompassed him as if the plants and trees were already dead. Withered. Absence of life and color in them. In front of his iron obsidian black in Victorian style gates secured the goth castle’s residence. Literally it resembled a hell or even more the place of the death as if he hasn’t repented for his sins and crimes.

When Timothy took a quick, nonetheless studious look into his colossal, surprisingly smooth hands, there were not any gore marks, bruises even scars imprinted on his flesh. He was beyond flabbergasted by the sight of perfection which he saw in his physical appearance as if he was raised on a pedestal as a top model.

 

“Hey, you buddy! Come over here!” The sudden sound of opening grandiose double onyx doors drew his attention in no time as Timothy, himself, was ultimately perplexed and disorientated by shifting his gaze to the unknown figure, whose voice echoed.

 

Despite the former priest’s heart raced in his ribs, he just obediently, docilely followed the echo as he took steps forward through the gravel pathway, escorting him up to the castle’s stone stairs as they were lacquered in specific color. Perhaps ebon one. As he proceed with the walking process up to the stairs by towering them, the person who actually echoed to him was no longer there as if an illusive spectral convinced him to come otherwise.

Moreover, the young man felt even more bewilderment, invading his frozen mind, factly, the least predictable spooky moments awaited him inside the goth castle.

 

“Where are you?” Timothy questioned puzzled by creasing an eyebrow as he stepped on the threshold by standing in front of the monumental double door of the building. No response. No action.

 

Then he took a deep breath, seconds before tapping on the double door as his heart was about to spring up of his chest, sensing prejudices by keeping his wits behind the future consequences of the events which might chill him to bones or even worse. Regret for better or worse.

As soon as his clutched fist rapped a handful of times on the huge double door, emitting sounds by signalizing its inhabitants there’s somebody waiting outside. An uninvited guest, of course!

He waited a several seconds for response and subsequently nobody opened the door. Even footsteps haven’t being heard by ringing into his sensitive, vulnerable ears. Then Timothy commenced to wonder what’s the matter with this gothic castle. According to him, it was alook like a godforsaken place or ghosts have actually resided it.

All of a sudden, the double door opened by itself unexplainably as if somebody has opened it specially for him, although he didn’t know that at all. It creaked and creaked as it was peculiarly obvious for him it was pretty old.

 

“Hello? Is there anybody here?” In the interval, he just stepped up inside the gothic castle’s hall as its door shut by itself instantly within seconds later after he arrived inside at last.

 

The hall was exquisitely furnished though the amount of furniture weren’t as much as an ordinary room at all. For example, a polished, ivory coat hanger as a few hats and coats were hung on them. Grand French windows partly illuminated the somewhat dark corridor. A crystal, however, sublime round mirror was in the middle of the hall.  A couple of doors surrounded him as an additional detail to the goth castle. A handful of big, life-like creative, oily painted pictures hung on the dark walls as the walls’ color were basil green, matching with its modestly adorned lobby.  Wooden, cherry wood stairway with its railing caught his eye without further ado. The chateau sunk in muting silence which disturbed the former holy man, causing him an inordinate distress even apprehension emanating from his instincts, warning him.

 

“Hello? I need an explainati-“ As he verged to resume his utterance, sudden as swift as lighting bolt sneaks caught his attention promptly by glimpsing as his glimpse was transfixed on the location in front of him where shadow, unknown figures snuck within milliseconds. “Who are you?”

 

“Shu, shu, shu, Timothy!” An unknown, howsoever, feminine voice came from the other side of the corridor as the unidentified woman stepped alongside him as she has recently emerged from nowhere, startling him. “Everything is alright.” She proceed with her utterance by shushing by placing an index finger as a gap between his soft, luscious lips by trying to reassure him, relieving him though he seemed cool outside but inside burning apprehension befell him.

 

“W-Who are you, ma’am?” He opted to be as polite and affable as possible without appearing brash and haughty from first sight as he turned to the woman, who was as the same age as his. His mouth was agape by witnessing the unknowingly spectral feminine figure encountering a timeless soul in a purgatory.

 

“So many questions, a few answers on them!” A raspy chuckle escaped her ruby-coloured lips as she took a first drag of her mint cigarette by eyeing the ex-priest’s handsome, palish complexion. Her piercing aqua blue eyes were as honed up as gorely dangerous blades. “It seems you don’t know me at all which I know it. But I know ya, buddy! I was who was on the threshold, yelling at you to come.”

 

 

“F-From where do you know me?”

 

“Everybody who’re once in the purgatory are like readen books for me. Each page of the book as its spread won’t be re-read, besides this question of yours is interesting, Monsignor.” A second drag of its nicotine length was pulled between her lips gap, blowing unhallowed dim somewhere else, overspreading in the partly pitch-black hall of the chateau. He felt somewhat uncomfortable when he was addressed with his ecclesiastical title which he once wore until he became a Cardinal of New York. “Or to be exact, Cardinal Timothy Howard! Right?” The former man of the cloth just nodded plainly, affirming her words though he didn’t acknowledge her real name eventually. Even the touch of her index finger that indexed his lips’ gap rendered him to shiver as it sent shivers down his spine and body of immense embarrassment and apprehension. “I own this gothic chateau and I’m Esther Ivy!” A smug, pleasant smirk danced across her ruby-coloured lips as she offered her hand to handshake his as he extended his, shaking one another’s hands for a split second until they concluded with it.

Esther Ivy was actually a woman, no older than in the beginning of her 30s with pale as ghost skin tone, as black as ebon ringlet of old Hollywood curls, shoulder length with fringe, covering her forehead. Brutally honest, sparkling aqua blue orbs, fulfilled with particular intelligence, wit and merry energy, oozing from them. Her plumpish, well-shaped lips were bloody red as a fiendish forbidden fruit. She was as short as 5’3 only, possessing slender body structure as she wore a crimson velvet vampiric gown with long satin sleeves and plunging neckline, revealing partly the fresh flesh of her bosom as its gown hem dropped down to her ankles. Classy black stilettos shoed her small feet.

Furthermore, a rose fragrance emanated from the young lady’s essence.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Esther Ivy! You already know me.”

 

“Fair enough, Timothy! If you just don’t mind to call you Tim or Timothy.”

 

“It’s your choice!”

 

“Great! Do you want a drink?”

 

“No, no thank you, Esther! I don’t want to renounce my vows all over again.” Timothy stammered as they headed towards one of the chateau’s rooms where’s located the bar as he escorted the owner of the gothic mansion without hesitancy. Meanwhile Esther arched an eyebrow in quizzical way once he emphasized the last sentence.

 

“Oh, come on, Tim! You should relax and savor it its sweet taste of something which will taste damn good for you at least once in your goddamn afterlife.” The black-haired woman evoked mildly irritated by taking a puff of her cigarette as Timothy helped her to enter first inside the bar by pushing for her the door, stepping aside. “Thank ya! You’re such a gentleman.”

 

“No need to!” A sheepish, sympathetic smile honed up in the corner of his dry lips as he followed Esther by sitting on the high bar stools. “It’s a sin the alcohol. I have had enough with fighting tougher demons than ever. Even if I shall call it an afterlife.” Then she gasped frustrated as they sat next to one another, whilst in the bar played goth music, contributing its atmosphere.

 

“ _I've been out walking_ _!_ _I don't do too much talking these days_ _  
These days_ _,_ _t_ _hese days I seem to think a lot_ _about the things that I forgot to do_ _!”_ Nico sung in the background as her eloquent, calm voice sailed in each field of the bar, where the former member of the clergy and the aristocratic owner of the property seated by themselves in the bar.

 

“It’s an afterlife, Timothy! Believe me or not, it’s your afterlife, seeking a redemption and salvation not only for your own soul,” His chocolate brown eyes were transfixed on her aqua blue irises, listening attentively without peeling a single word as he swallowed hard when she began explaining to him there might be an occurring quest for saving one more soul, besides his until the bartender cut her off as his presence was bizarrely evident.

 

“Well, what would you like, Esther and this gentleman with you?” The bartender had actually French accent, accentuated on his pronunciation as he meant the gentleman the former devotional member of the church who accompanied Esther, narrowing his thick, fluffy eyebrows.

 

“Two cognacs for both of us!”

 

“Esther!” The younger man nagged though she ignored his protest by focusing her attention on the bartender’s question.

 

“What for example?”

 

“One Hennessy for me, while he gets the Remy Martin one!” The gothic, eccentric woman ordered the bartender the alcoholic beverages without fluctuation as Timothy felt beyond powerless to halt her from ordering cognacs for both of them.

 

“Just a minute, Esther!” The barman prepared two scotch glasses by pouring its cognac liquor in them, afterwards pushing them towards his both clients.

 

“ _And all the times I had_ _a_ _chance to_ _I've stopped my rambling_ _!_ _I don't do too much gambling these days_ _!_ _These days_ _, t_ _hese days I seem to think about_ _!”_

“Thank you!” The both younger adults expressed their gratitude to the French man as they raised a toast as Timothy didn’t want to appear loutish and ungrateful, due to her hospitability which he didn’t even deserve.  “I told ya, it’s pointless to reject a treat especially from the hostess. The owner of this gothic mansion.” She turned to Timothy, locking up his stare.

 

“As you say,” He paused as they sipped of the sinful, sweet liquor which burned the corners of their mouth as their caverns savored its alcoholic sweetness, lingering on their tongues. At last but not least, Timothy didn’t regret his first sip of Remy Martin’s cognac which felt goddamn good for him. For his needs.  “Mmmm!”

 

“What’s it?”

 

“It’s tastes…This is good!” In the meanwhile, the black-haired hostess couldn’t help but release a light, half-hearted snigger by taking a final drag of her cigarette, seconds before stubbing it out in the glass ashtray. Thereafter smirk cracked on her milky as ghost complexion.

 

“I’m truly happy you like it, Tim! It’s one of the best cognacs I’ve ever drank in my life.”

 

“Aren’t you a ghost, are you?”

 

“How do you think? What I actually look like?” What it was tiresome for Esther was the dumb, clueless questions coming from somebody who she considered as extraordinarily schooled person.

 

“ _How all these changes came about my ways_ _a_ _nd I wonder if I'd see another_ _!_ _Highway_ _I had a lover_ _!_ _I don't think I'd risk another these days_ _!_ _These days_ _,_ ”

 

The juvenile, aspiring man’s chocolate brown orbs wandered up and down as he scrutinized the gothic chateau’s owner, taking his time by admiring her grim beauty.

 

“You look like a ghost.”

 

“Look like? Ha!” Another chuckle escaped her ruby lips, seconds before they were wrapped around its insubstantial scotch glass, sipping her potation. “I’m a ghost. I’m already dead for approximately 5 years and I still live in this mansion as I’m a damned soul, in fact, I’m an unholy woman. Awful things happened which I did with my own hands and actions.”

 

“Oh!” In the interim, Timothy sipped a small doze of his alcoholic beverage, without taking his eyes of Esther’s aqua blue though he didn’t have any kind of a thrill to his peer. “I’m not a saint either, Esther! I just did as worse things as I should have redeemed myself much earlier rather than killing myself by slitting my wrists as I took a bloodbath.”

 

“Well, it’s known for me you aren’t a saint. Nobody is a saint whether if you are in a purgatory or in the real world!

 

“ _And if I seem to be afraid_ _t_ _o live the life that I have made in song_ _!_ _It's just that I've been losing_ _s_ _o long_ _!_ _La, la, la, la, la_ _, l_ _a, la_ _!_ ”

 

“I know that. Just tell me why do you consider yourself an unholy woman?”

 

“Oh, Tim, Tim! You will be exceedingly disappointed and would think me of another psychopath as I’m definitely.” Then she sighed unwillingly as her fingers idly, absent-mindedly caressed its scotch glass, filled with cognac as its acute aroma taunted their tender nostrils. “I owned this mansion since my birth as my parents used to be aristocrats, known for their wealth. But they were so selfish and self-centered. They didn’t give me a chance to get along with my daughter our heirloom property at all as if my husband should possess it otherwise, whilst once he passes away, then my goose is cooked. On the last family ensemble, we discussed about the heirloom of the gothic chateau. I plotted to murder them in front of my daughter and husband’s eyes as my daughter watched in horror, while William, the love of my life just contemplated their death scene as if they didn’t actually exist.” Esther Ivy hissed by gulping in a single sip the remaining quantity of liquor as she licked greedily, gamely her lips as a wicked chuckle was emitted from her throat as the former holy man paid utterly attention to her words.

 

“Oh!”

 

“It’s not only that. Throughout police sirens were being heard as William and Estelle were killed by my hand as I ended my own life, not giving myself to the cops.”

 

“And that’s why your damned soul is imprisoned in this mansion for eternity?”

 

“ _I've stopped my dreaming_ _!_ _I won't do too much scheming these days_ _!_ _These days_ _, these days I sit on cornerstones_ _!_ ”

 

“That’s what I’m talking about damned souls. We’re all lost souls, aren’t we?”

 

 

“Indeed! What a spiritual philosophy!” Timothy evoked out as he chewed his bottom lip. “I think you regret for what you did before committing suicide.”

 

“If you think so, where I would be then?” The black-haired lady furthered as she posed a rhetorical question as the both adults snickered jubilantly at her joke. “In the paradise?”

 

“Of course, not!”

 

“Due to the fact, I murdered my family, that doesn’t means I’m a horrible person. You aren’t even a horrible person at all. You did it, because you were as naïve as a little boy and being blinded by these bastards.”

 

“Exactly! Purgatory is the exact place for our atonement.” Then he realized when he mentioned the word purgatory, Timothy choked with sipped cognac as he commenced coughing by throbbing his chest with a palm, whacking it as the former priest earned Esther’s concerned look, inked on her face. “W-Wait a second! Is this a purgatory?”

 

“It’s! Welcome in the world of the afterlife, fellah!” Once he heard the word fellah, it molted his heart as Timothy felt beyond special for Esther though not as a romantic interest at all. But also when she emphasized the word purgatory, she earned his dumbfound look which he wore on his face.

 

“ _And count the time in quarter tones to ten_ _!_ _Please don't confront me with my failures_ _!_ _I had not forgotten them_ _!_ ”

 

All of a sudden, the bar’s door opened, as a result of presumably another arriving client in the wee hours of endless midnight. Perhaps she might not be a regular client or who knows? It was a blond woman, who was a tad Timothy’s seniors. The frequent, recurring sound of clicking heels instantly got his attention within seconds by focusing his gaze on the walking woman by eerily recognizing the feminine figure as she ambled up to the bar, approaching it with every step. Who she was lastly?


	2. Nightlife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The blonde is actually Timothy's rare bird. She experiences an accident during her tonight show. What's going to be Timothy and Jude's destiny in the forthcoming moments in the purgatory?

 

“Hey Tim! Isn’t that yar,” Esther transfixed her aqua blue eyes as Timothy’s chocolate brown orbs on the approaching blonde who overlooked them by taking a seat alongside the black-haired lady, surveying each action of hers. Literally her body language. Her manners. Mischievous, subtle smirk danced across her ruby-coloured lips of the hostess. The ex-priest felt pulsation in his ears as if he verged to have a heart attack once he recognized actually who’s the blonde who recently entered in the gothic bar as the music changed in the background.

 

“ _Let's swim to the moon, uh huh! Let's climb through the tide! Penetrate the evenin' that the_ _c_ _ity sleeps to hide! Let's swim out tonight, love_ _!_ _It's our turn to try!_ _”_ The Doors’ song just played in the background, floating in the bar as its sole inhabitants were Jude, Timothy, Esther and the French bartender. Jingling serene, melodious tunes in their ears.

 

“Tim, that’s your Jude!” Esther teased the former man of the cloth by swatting heedlessly his broad, muscular shoulder as he couldn’t avert his chocolate brown orbs from the magnetizing blonde who sat next to Esther, ordering the French bartender for herself some bourbon in a scotch glass.

 

“It’s not exactly mine since,” The young man stuttered as he struggled to utter each syllable, due to the fact Jude was in the same room where he was especially with another female company. Suddenly he lowered his head in shame as his dexterous, elegant fingers caressed idly his scotch glass with its almost emptied liquor. “I’m sorry but I hurt her as much as I don’t deserve her forgiveness.” At last but not least, his abrupt lowered voice signalized the hostess that something was out of control. Something didn’t seem okay at first sight and in general at all. Something urging her to alleviate her new friend, who seemed peculiarly, immensely disquieted. On one hand, Timothy hankered for to speak in person with the blonde and promptly apologise her, regardless what she thinks of him and what might be her reaction as well. On other hand, the former Monsignor little did he know his apprehension has escalated to celestial borderlines and how she might react even on his first exclaimation towards her after the labyrinthine dilemma and disaster which conflicted them even more especially him for now.

 

“One Elijah Craig bourbon for me, please!” The lady in red ordered boldly as she winked at the French barkeeper as he docilely, obediently took a medium sized bottle of Elijah Craig bourbon by preparing an empty, clean scotch glass by grasping its bottle as her hazelish-brown eyes were darted down to the mammoth, calloused hand as its liquor motion of amber waterfall filled the glass.

 

“ _Parked beside the ocean_ _o_ _n our moonlight drive! Let's swim to the moon, uh huh_ _!_ _Let's climb through the tide_ _s_ _urrender to the waiting worlds_ _!_ _That lap against our side_ _!”_

 

The middle-aged woman’s ringlet of silken old Hollywood honey curls lour down to her upper back, framing ideally her porcelain, pale as sheer angel complexion with its ravishing red as remorseless gore, layering her bottom and upper lips, highlighting her velvet, vanilla face. Her piercing honey brown eyes were fixed on her scotch glass of sweet, sinful, mouth-watering bourbon as its liquor will gush down inside her body and organs exceedingly soon, watering her body. A knee length with V neckline and spaghetti straps silken scarlet red dress hugged her curvy, slender, still attractive body as its bright, ravishing color was as provocative as a traffic light, catching its eye within seconds by signalizing. Not just a mere traffic light. She was literally an inordinate firecracker not just for the men, who get laid with her for the one-night stands events in the over the hill, muddy motel rooms, moreover for Timothy himself, who did want her as more than a mere woman. Silver, thin, glittering bracelets on cuffed her wrists, whilst stud luxurious, shimmering ruby earrings were pierced in  her earlobes as if she was more shining and beautiful than an embellished Christmas tree. Perhaps 2 ruby and diamond rings braced her fingers on her both hands.

The lady in red, known as Patron Saint of Lost Causes wasn’t actually a saint either just like Timothy. Her current exquisite looks embodied the unsacred and wanton fragments of the ordinary sin, gathered in unsolved pieces of a puzzle. Even more the fragrance of jasmine, emanating as aroma of her hair and essence reached promptly Timothy’s and Esther’s nostrils altogether.

“Thank ya for the bourbon!”

“You really need to talk to her.” Esther played idly with her already emptied glass of cognac by licking greedily, gamely her lips in front of the former man of the cloth. Further, she opted to persuade him to talk in person with Judy without even being afraid of the consequences.

“I might try though who knows?”

“Give a try, Tim! I bet she would be keen speaking to you.”

“As you say!” All of a sudden, the owner of the gothic chateau vanished as if dust was sprinkled in the air like rain of wee sparks which astonished the young man to bones as his distance with the woman he eerily recognized was just almost a feet.

Then he sipped one last sip of his Remy Martin cognac by swallowing it in a swift motion as he held his glass, slamming it on the cherry wood bar desk, drawing instantly the flirtatious blonde as she once turned, she couldn’t take her honey brown eyes which glinted twinkling stars, offering him a seductive, amiable smile, shaped on her bloody red as gore lips. The former member of the clergy couldn’t refrain a sympathetic smile, cradling his lips by gazing hypnotized at the slightly older woman than him.

By the way he stared at her was much different. His rare bird wasn’t the austere, cold-blooded and revered nun he remembered her once, dressed up in dark wool conservative wimple and habit, concealing the darkness of her past and iniquitous manners she get used to when she was much younger, inexperienced in the life as if she was a lost kid in the grim forest of the life with tracks, guiding her to the right path. Hyperbolical contrast was between her nun outfit she wore in her moral life and the modish, glimmering of glamour dress she currently had on herself. It mesmerized even stumped the former holy man as if he saw the same person in 2 different lights.

 

“ _Nothin' left open_ _a_ _nd no time to decide_ _!_ _We've stepped into a river_ _o_ _n our moonlight drive! Let's swim to the moon_ _  
Let's climb through the tide_ _!_ ”

“J-Jude?”

 

“It’s not Jude, Mister! I’m just Judy. Judy Martin!” A bold, emboldened smirk slightly startled him by causing him to blush a bit as she moved audaciously on the next bar stool by seating alongside him. An embarrassing silence arched between them as she took her time to inspect the mildly younger man’s facial features by wandering her eyes up and down until Judy studied him completely like a readen book. A husky chuckle escaped her caverns just seconds before breaking the ice as bourbon stained breath lightly punched his face. He felt the warmth of the alcohol a tad pinch on his cheeks. “You don’t look familiar to me. Aren’t ya a new fellah in the purgatory?”

 

“For sure, yes! Esther owns this chateau.”

 

“She owns it, of course!”

 

“Jude, you look so familiar. Why you seem,” As Timothy verged to resume his sentence by sipping his cognac once again, unfortunately, for his sake, it was Jude who cut him off in curt manner as she was beyond, apparently a tad livid for being addressed with her ecclesiastical name which she wore after joining the church and becoming a devotional woman of the cloth.

 

“Sir, I told ya I’m not Jude. Stop calling me like that! I’m just Judy, okay?” The blonde nagged by attempting to control her voice though her exasperation didn’t hurt Timothy, himself, at all.

 

“Judy?” She nodded, thrumming softly, silver-tongued to themselves as it was solely audible for them. Then he exhaled sharply as the blonde maneuvered him to raise up a toast together.

“Let’s raise up a toast together. For your arrival, of course! Cheers!” As they spelled as one Cheers, they already rose a toast along. Their scotch glasses were grasped as they collided. Glass against glass lightly contacted in the clink, without averting their gazes until they sipped their beverages, thereafter leaving their glasses aside on the bar.

 

“ _You reach your hand to hold me_ _b_ _ut I can't be your guide_ _!_ _Easy, I love you_ _a_ _s I watch you glide_ _!_ _Falling through wet forests_ _o_ _n our moonlight drive, baby_ _!_ ” The Doors’ song yet played in the background, vapouring its adventurous ambience in the bar.

“I know this might be embarrassing but may I know yar name, gentleman?”

“Timothy Howard!” The juvenile, aspiring man replied bashfully, incapable of breaking the intense, alluring eye contact as they linked along.

“Oooh! Sir Timothy Howard!” She uttered each word in teasing manner through a raspy chuckle, emitted as a flame of a dragon. “A British, if I’m trying to guess where are you actually coming from.”

 

“I’m indeed British! A wealthy one.”

 

“Well, good for ya, Tim!” The blonde in ease got comfortable in the former priest’s company as she couldn’t help but guffaw, patting her knee with a palm as Timothy half-heartedly chuckled either, biting his bottom, plumpish lip. “You will be an excellent sugar daddy for tonight if ya don’t mind to convey me to my room after the tonight’s show.”

 

“Judy, believe me! I’m not a sugar daddy! I’m not this kind of a man, who lives with women just because they yearn for money only.”

 

“You are another two-goody shoes one but you’re still fine. You’re alook like my type, not gonna lie!” In the interval, her firm, glassy white teeth chewed her bottom lip seductively as if she was an innocent teenager, who’s with her crush and she’s just confessed something which is urgently awkward for the both sides especially Timothy. Little did he know what this woman especially the love of his life, who didn’t even realize it was actually the man she once loved was sitting in the same bar and sharing the same poison along, was capable of. The suddenness of rouging face as his cheeks heated beneath his flesh caused him disquieting uneasiness as his heart peaked to leap.

 

“ _Moonlight drive_ _!_ _Come on, baby, gonna take a little ride_ _!_ _  
Down, down by the ocean side_ _!_ _Gonna get real close!_ ”

 

In the meanwhile, he swallowed hard as it expressed his inexperience in the flirts and provocative compliments made by representative of the opposite sex. At last but not least, Jude gulped in a single sip her bourbon, finishing it as quickly as possible as the tonight show, which she’s going to hold tonight with the former freak show owner, Elsa Mars, was in a matter of minutes only. Having limited time as if it’s hourglass time lapsed slowly, gradually.

The contrast between the singer and the former pious member of the church was inescapably immense as if they were living on different planets with their own visions. What Timothy wanted to achieve by progressing with his purgatory quest was redeeming himself and confess to Jude his damned, nonetheless bewitching feelings he had for her even when his divine, blinding Vatican dream blinded him and tried to deprive him from real, perfectly normal human feelings and emotions of feeling love and falling in love once in his life. Whereas Judy craved for love, attention, affection by seeking it from stranger men, who delivered nothing, howsoever, temporal sexual and physical pleasure by intoxicating her mind and body as its sinful pleasures commanded it with an iron fist.

“Holy shit! The tonight show which I’m going to hold extremely soon is in a matter of few minutes. We need ta hurry up, Tim!” As soon as she got from the bar stools, Timothy did either by extending his mammoth, surprisingly smooth one to hold her petite, creamy one by escorting her to the dressing room which was located on the second floor of the gothic mansion. “Thank you for being such a gentleman!” They headed towards the double door of the bar, exiting it by pacing in the hall as they began towering the stairs, holding one another’s hands.

 

“No need to!” He felt smug with himself by reheating his frail heart which hammered in his chest. “I’m trying to be as nice as possible and forget about the past when I wasn’t as saint as I look like into your eyes.”

 

“Oh Tim! You’re so sweet! Stop belittling yourself!” It slightly exasperated her the relentless circumstance when he expressed his self-criticism in general. Perhaps a faint drum on his broad, muscular shoulder distracted him as he glanced shyly, returning his chocolate brown eyes on their way to the dressing room. “What makes you thinking I look familiar to you? Just spit it out.” She furthered in honeyed, low voice by biting her bottom lip, eagerly, attentively adjusting herself to listen to him.

“Well, you were a nun. A special nun who I had actually feelings for her and loved her though I wasn’t supposed to be since I were a man of the cloth. Romance and sex were impossible criminal combinations. She was actually the chosen one. I called her a rare bird proudly, happily. Since she’s my right hand.” Shortly before commencing with his dramatic monologue, the former member of the church took a deep breath by grasping the blonde’s hand, feeling the absorbed warmth they mutually shared with one another via their hands and skins connection contact. Meantime Judy listened with humongous enthusiasm, oozing from her silence without peeling a word.

“I-I used to be a nun as I remind you of her. In your vision?”

“You used to be not only a nun, seriously. But also, urm, I didn’t do amazing things to her. I think you can recall if I’m not lying myself and I’m gravely regretting them.”

“Ah! Ya murdered her or something?” The middle-aged woman who looked ethereal eternally youthful wondered by understanding the remorses which the former holy man experienced by recalling during his mortal life what he did not only to himself, but the most to his secret love interest. Once Timothy thought of what he eventually did to Jude when he literally took away anything she once possessed such as clerical title, job and her home inside the dull, grayish walls of Briarcliff as she was the guest of the asylum and trapped by the destiny and authorities for escaping it safe and sound, besides destined to rot for the rest of her days and no longer wearing her clerical title, and even working as a sister.

“Even worse,” Timothy indeed swallowed hard at the thought of his wrongdoings and heinous deeds towards Jude by faintly bowing his head. “I believed blindly in her enemies as I took away everything she once possessed. Her clerical title, the job she loved even if she didn’t have a lot of opportunities and most of all, I lost not only her trust and respect, moreover even her sober and real herself as she transformed into a madwoman. It was my fault for letting myself being corrupted with pretty, sweet lies unlike to listen to her earlier as the truth was already on the horizon. Right in front of me.”

“Oh! That’s not very gentleman of yars, Tim! It’s all in the past, believe me.” She slapped lightly his shoulder by attempting to reassure him gamely. “We live for today and tomorrow, the eventual future.”

“As I said, I truly regret the shit I did to her! My ambition and Rome were my priorities after she lost everything. It still haunts me and tortures me. I can remember her words.”

“Tim, you will always find a way to redeem yourself if you just want it.”

“I want it, however, it’s not as easy as it looks like at first sight.” Once they halted beside the dressing room’s door, it resembled as if they’re going to have a farewell. He hesitated between entering inside her dressing room together or otherwise leave her at peace and watch her in the crowded audience, while she holds the show with one more singer. He inhaled in distraught manner as his heart vigorously pulsated in his ribs.

“It was a pleasure for spending some time together in the bar. You were nice as well. I think we should see each other more often or,” All of a sudden, an echo drew the both adults’ attention which emanated from the dressing room as their faces sunk in sanguine tinges. “Do ya want to enter in the dressing room with me? Just to accompany me for a few more minutes until the show’s beginning?” She furthered as she offered him hospitably. What the former member of the clergy didn’t sincerely deserve was Judy’s courtesy at all. Why she didn’t yell at him earlier in the bar? Why she didn’t just walk away and never return in front of his handsome, doting and sheer innocent face ever again as if her existence was dubiously acknowledged?

 

“Urm, I-I don’t feel very comfortable and we just met in the bar and I don’t want to intrude you!”

“Don’t be such a virgin baby, Tim! Nothing detrimental would happen to you if you just stay with me for a while in the dressing room. Just for 2 minutes.” The blonde’s stubbornness escalated as she readily recognized the man in front of her wasn’t as experienced and harsh as her one-night stand lovers who just used her to benefit of her young-looking, extraordinarily gorgeous body, stimulating their essential needs. Indeed, a much different man was part of her company. Sweet, concerned, doting, bashful and showed signs of crystallines of innocence, purity as if he was actually the male version of Jude’s daughter role, her once favorite nun Mary Eunice.

“Alright, alright, Judy! Just for 2 minutes only.” This time, he accepted her offer at last by sighing in jaded way as he opened the dressing room’s door for the sole lady who was with him, wearing a boyish, sheepish smile, flashed upon his juvenile yet, milky as ghost complexion. “Ladies first!”

“Thank you!” Shortly after she set a foot inside her dressing room, Timothy joined her by shutting the door and taking a seat on one of the chairs, whereas the middle-aged lady approached the dressing table by leaning forward to check herself and her untouched, smudged bright red lips by scrutinizing her double herself which was reflected on the crystal, medium-sized mirror. “Oh perfect! My make-up isn’t smudged even ruined. That’s fine!”

Silence fell in the dressing room as there were all alone with their thoughts and prejudices. Little did Jude know why the man who introduced himself as a former man of the cloth was as quiet as the death itself.

“You look wonderful for tonight’s show. You mustn’t underestimate yourself!” Timothy benevolently complimented her as he was beyond dumbfound by the choice of vocabulary adjectives he used in his recent sentence instead of the most common words which are used as compliments for women such as pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, stunning and drop-dead gorgeous. Furthermore, he tried to encourage her by not being concerned for her looks since she was perfect into his eyes.

“Why thank you, Tim! You’re handsome too.”

Then his face flushed as he felt his cheeks heating, whereas his clammy palms were wiped in his pant’s knees. He has never being complimented graciously especially by a representative of the opposite sex especially coming from the love of his life. These words were as shoot accurately as marked bullseye in his heart.

“Thank you!” He modestly expressed his gratitude as if it was his first time  to being called handsome as he got from the chair, whilst the blonde walked up towards the stage, glittering more than any other star, syruped in shimmering glitter. “We will see within seconds.” He left the dressing room.

As soon as he left the dressing room of the singer, all of a sudden Ester appeared before him by startling him.

 

“Timothy, are you ready for Judy’s show tonight?”

“Of course! More than anything just to be for her.”

“Excellent! Let’s go, buddy!” The black-haired hostess guided him to the room where the show is going to be held which was on the same floor, pacing in the dim light hallway of the gothic castle until a security guard of the club looked so similar to Timothy, himself.

“Good evening! It seems you’re for Judy and Elsa’s tonight show if I’m not particularly mistaking.” The former cop said seriously as he was eyeing the goth hostess and the man, who accompanied her. They resembled best friends as well thought it was a question of worldview. Sinisterly he recognized the former man of the cloth of whom he wasn’t quite fond of, in fact, Frank was the sole genuine ally of the former sister of the Roman Catholic church and has always treated her with respect, fondness unlike the other men.

“Definitely! Is the entrance free?” The younger man enquired politely by chewing his plumpish, berry-coloured lip as its cognac stained breath slightly pinched the security guard of the club’s face, pretending to not knowing him at all.

“Of course! Wait a sec,” Frank removed his cap by scratching nervously his head as he pursed his lips, thereafter popping them up as exploding dynamites and putting the cap on his head again by studying the juvenile man’s facial features, eyeing up and down his tall, muscular figure. “I think I know ya!”

“Oh! It’s you, Frank McCann! Jude’s favorite employee.” He released an ironic, blissful chuckle by wiping his sweaty eyebrow with the back of his mammoth, veiny hand. “I saw her in the bar though she didn’t recognize me.”

“Ah, it’s okay, fellah! You’re just a new in this place called purgatory. At least, you’re lucky for recognizing her and remembering her.” Frank swatted amiably, lightly Timothy’s shoulder as the both men couldn’t suppress inward, jubilant chuckles as if they were best friends for long time. What it overwhelmed Timothy, himself, was the former police officer’s goodwill which sent shivers down his spine and body of chilling electroshocks. “But it amuses me why are ya looking for her since you betrayed her back in our mortal lives, Tim!”

“I did a plenty of mistakes, Frank! All I want is her forgiveness and to confess something to her which I’ve never done back then.” The younger man stuttered, struggling to utter each syllable, in fact, he was beyond ashamed of his actions and the mess, he did after himself and messing the blonde’s life.

“Just relax and ponder on it! Just give her some time and she’s will be fine. Now you can enter with Esther and wishing you happy watching of the tonight’s show.”

“Thank you for your piece of advice, Frank! You deserve some credit for your hospitality even if I don’t deserve it after hurting her.”

“Do not overthink it!” The middle-aged man ushered him to enter inside the club as Timothy and Esther finally entered inside as her stilettos clicked against the carpeted floor as the aroma of sinful, luscious alcohol and expensive perfumes reached the both spectrals’ tender nostrils as the club sank in ebon darkness though it was crowded with people, seating and awaiting for the both singers to make their own way on the stage. The audience’s chatters floated in the sufficiently spacious club as their agitated eyes were glued on the cabaret.

“So did you both just talk?” Esther found free seats just for both of them as they sat alongside one another by fixing their stares on the cabaret.

“Yes, I did. I didn’t expect her kindness and enciting demeanor.” Timothy replied as crossing his arms reluctantly. In the meantime, the hostess arched her thin, elegant dark eyebrow.

“That’s marvelous. At least, it doesn’t encumber you anymore for not having the opportunity to speak to her in person.”

“Definitely! I don’t feel this ounce that burdens my heart any longer. But I hope she has any kind of an idea who I’m and what I’m willing to achieve via that.” In this moment, the projector lights illuminated fully the stage as two feminine shadows were reflexed on the stage’s walls from the both sides.

Meantime, the lady in red came as her ravishing red stilettos clicked against the polished, hardwood wooden flooring, whereas the other woman in blue joined her either of the east side as her obsidian black pumps frequently, recurringly clicked and clicked, earning the audience’s prompt attention within seconds as ecstatic, perky applauds levitated . Even Esther and Timothy clapped their hands, rejoicing for the both women’s arrival on the stage especially Jude’s.

The both blondes earned the peculiar inquiring looks which were inked on the younger adults in the end of the club though they overlooked them. In the interim, Timothy darted his chocolate brown eyes, fulfilled with childish inquisitiveness to his love interest, who was actually dressed up in red, then shifting momentarily his gaze to the other woman, who wore luxurious, sparkling sky blue costume with an aqua tie, matching ideally with her evening outfit. He noticed oddly the both ladies shared something in common or not exactly. Elsa blood-curlingly resembled Judy in appearance. What it rendered him to cogitate profoundly was if they were actually family members to each other even relatives or on the contrary, twins.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! It has been a handful of nights since we’ve been on the stage and satisfied you with songs.” The both women’s lisps were alluring the most for Timothy and some of the men who were in the audience, cheering them up with incessant applauds and whistling at the native Bostonian, who received more attention by the men due to her indisputable grace, whilst Elsa for her bizarre charisma. “Well, we will find a solution to this problem with lack of laughs and smiles as we start first with something more entertaining until we marry the night and continue the show with more depressing ones.”

“We’re ready!” Abounding interweaved high-pitched yells swam in the club by emboldening the both singers to commence with their show at last without hesitation.

“Oh the games people play now! Every night and every day now! Never meaning what they say now! Never saying what they mean and they wile away the hours in their ivory towers!” Elsa started singing the first lines as they took turns by meandering on the stage in slow, elegant gaits as they gracefully highlighted their rumbling, rejoiced spirits they possessed for tonight’s show.

“They’re brilliant but Jude is playing a major part of your arrival there! Ha, Tim!” In the interim, the black-haired lady poked teasingly, cheerfully the former holy man’s shoulder as he glimpsed at her by giggling lightly, whilst the song’s instrumental and the lyrics were hand in hand, interlacing toppingly.

“Till they're covered up with flowers in the back of a black limousine! La-da da da da da da da! La-da da da da da de! Talking 'bout you and me and the games people play!” It was high time Jude to chanter out loud, swaying gently her hips, following its music’s rejoicing, even-tempered rhythm.

“Oh we make one another cry! Break a heart then we say goodbye! Cross our hearts and we hope to die that the other was to blame! Neither one will give in so we gaze at our eight by ten!” Then the both women stepped out of the cabaret by marching in the audience as the men’s incessant, predatory pats whether on her thigh, waist or arm weren’t overlooked by Esther and Timothy, themselves. They were mystifyingly observant especially Timothy over Jude and what the other men were doing to her, horrifying him to bones. She was as vulnerable as a naïve schoolgirl, who seeks nothing than specific and plain attention from the boys that are capable of ruining her life and subsequently starting to loathe them.

“Thinking 'bout the things that might have been! It's a dirty rotten shame people walking up to you, singing glory hallelulia and they're tryin to sock it to you in the name of the Lord!”

“They're gonna teach you how to meditate! Read your horoscope, cheat your fate and further more to hell with hate! Come on and get on board look around tell me what you see what's happening to you and me!’ All of a sudden as Jude strolled up in seductive, cocky gait up to the younger man who was accompanied by the hostess as she vocalized certain song lines, their eyes met as she locked up his stare by cupping jawline by leaning down as their foreheads rested on each other. The suddenness of her soft, alleviating touch was sending shivers down his body and spine of delirious sweetness, pleasure and whit embarrassment as well, oozing from his body language.

“God grant me the serenity to remember who I am! 'Cause you've given up your sanity for your pride and your vanity! Turns your back on humanity and you don't give a da da da da da!” The both singers sung in unison after roaming around the audience by returning back to the stage as ivory, megawatt smiles crawled on their sparkling faces, layered in make-up especially Elsa’s one with sky blue eyeshadows, inked on her eyelids, bloody red lips motioning in unabating way. Fortunately, the German emigrant towered the cabaret stairs until her duet company stumbled unintentionally as she thumped on the floor  by crying out loud in pain as her knees hurt once they contacted the exquisitely polished wooden stairs, leading to the stage, followed by her palms especially the one that hit momentarily the floor too.

In the interval, the audience watched staggered the injured singer who couldn’t move her lower muscles, in fact, the injury opened next chapter of its unbearable, sore pain. The native Bostonian just gritted her teeth as she abided stoic, whilst Timothy got from his seat by scudding without catching his breath as Esther got from her chair either as she escorted the gentleman in order to help the lead vocalist, whereas Elsa crouched down to Jude by inspecting her immobile body, luckily, she was alive yet which was murderously evident.

“J-Judy, are you okay, my darling?” The German woman posed the question concerned as she stuttered by caressing gingerly her cheek, thereafter extending her hand to help her to get from the ground until it was the former man of the cloth and the hostess helping the other blonde.

“Judy, you deserve a peaceful rest! I’m going to take you to your room to get you laid.” Timothy lifted her in a bridal lift her weightless body, whilst Esther gasped shocked.

“The tonight’s show is ruined without me.” The lady in red whispered softly as she let the younger man have an ultimate control over her body by getting her out of the club, while Elsa was assuring the audience she can carry on with the show.

“She’ll be fine. She really deserves some rest and she will return another time.” The black-haired lady retorted by following the other 2 adults who were leaving the expansive, glowing room.

“Judy, you deserve some rest! The show won’t end even if you don’t star in it now.”

“Tim is right, Judy! Elsa can do by herself the show. Your health and welfare are much more important than anything else. Even than ours.” Esther opted to reassure the injured singer as the blonde’s frail, bony arms snaked around the former man of the cloth’s neck by poising her balance.

“I’m living on the third floor in the second room which is my bedroom with en-suite kitchen and bathroom, instead of going downstairs.”

“It’s not only yours. Guess who’s going to share it with you until you pass the post-purgatory stage. I mean after seeking peace with yourselves.” The gothic hostess winked at the middle-aged lady as a smug, felonious grin distorted across her ruby-coloured lips as the both former members of the clergy’s hearts raced at Esther’s words which literally meant they should live along. First and foremost, Timothy was readily satisfied for sharing with his love interest something together even if she disagrees. Nonetheless, he doesn’t want to rush up in the beginning and mess up the things all over again just like in his mortal life. Further, he doesn’t want to violate Jude’s private space by ruthlessly invading it without her credit. It was his second nature to be tolerant, patient and seek her answer as they mutually implement it by affecting their relationship.

“T-Tim?”

“Indeed! Unfortunately, we aren’t capable of changing this policy! You deserve some peace together. You’re exactly for each other made, not gonna lie!” They were imposing the stairway to the third floor of the grand gothic chateau.

“If you say so,” The both adults exclaimed as one as their looks significantly changed on their faces by gawking astounded at the hostess as they chewed their bottom lips in disquiet manner. Once Timothy orientated in the dark hallway of the third floor by finding Jude’s bedroom which also belongs to him, Esther vanished as he sighed a sigh of relief.

“W-what did she mean with this? Sharing a room together since we’re in purgatory?” The blonde stammered by struggling sluggishly to utter the other syllables of almost each word like a functioning car engine, meantime the former Monsignor opened the room  by shutting the door with a back kick until he dropped Jude on the king-sized bed which was decorated with scarlet velveteen blanket, blanketing the bed itself as her back felt something velvet even soft underneath.

“Judy, she’s right! Until we don’t pass this purgatory quest by succeeding, throughout we are supposed to live there, besides as ordinary roommates.” The younger man was taking off the singer’s stilettos out of her feet by setting them past the bed by maneuvering her to move somewhere else. Perhaps in other corner of the king-sized bed by persuading her to be blanketed after he uses some ice cubes by clogging them on her wounded, bruised knees after the show’s incident as he found ice cubes in the refrigerator by heading towards the kitchen for a split second by grasping them and mildly pushing her dress’s hem, revealing her lovely, round-shaped knees as pinkish and bluish tints were imprinted on her flesh.

“Ugh! How long it might last this?” She sighed dramatically by pushing a couple of tresses of her face as she fanned it.

“It depends. It can be for a week or much longer. It’s up to us, Judy!” Afterwards he wrapped up her warmly under the velveteen blanket by covering almost every inch of her body below the shoulders as the singer looked up at him anxiously with blushed complexion. At last but not least, the middle-aged lady was beyond touched by the former Monsignor’s gentleman demeanor though she couldn’t recall anything about him. “Good night!” He said to her by pecking a kiss on her lukewarm forehead as she closed her heavy eyelids as its ounce pressured her to fall asleep within seconds. “My rara avis!” He whispered in honeyed voice as he felt immense pride, dwelling in his heart, due to the fact he helped her a lot by rescuing her shortly after the occurred accident which took its place on the cabaret with the other lead vocalist. An innocent, peaceful smile bloomed on his berry-coloured, dry lips.


	3. Aversion and Grudge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite Timothy seeks forgiveness from Jude, she pours her entire ire on him. His quest doesn't progress in purgatory at all. Jude and Timothy's love child spots her mother with Elsa in the library. How might both women react?

 

 

As the wee hours of the morning loomed on the horizon as subtle, saturating sunrays dispersed through the closed crimson blinds of the former devotional members of the cloth's room, bathing their bedroom in scintillating light even if their eyelids were shut, protecting them from its bright sun light. Light as almost as silent as the death snores levitated in the bedroom.

The injured singer who experienced an unintentional accident during her show the night before was having a rough headache now as she laid all alone in her king-sized bed as its scarlet velveteen blanket still covered her senseless body. The alcohol, she drank the night before in the bar with the fellow former Monsignor left her body and blood at last as if it acquired parallelism of ghost of past. At last but not least, her knees didn't hurt her anymore as much as shortly after the incident, taking its place on the stairway to the cabaret. Her mane of glossy, wild old Hollywood golden curls ruffled on the scarlet pillow as she felt slight autumn breeze blowing in her almost motionless waterfall of honey curls.

In the interval, Timothy got up slightly earlier than her as the night hours already died in the ebon vacuum as he took a lukewarm, quick shower by changing himself in more casual clothing such as plain, white, neat shirt as he left a handful of buttons undone, followed by dark grayish slacks, layering his yet muscular, extraordinarily appealing legs for almost middle-aged man and black leather oxford shoes. Afterwards he zinged momentarily in the kitchen by brewing some coffee and preparing breakfast such as scrambled eggs and bacon. All he wanted was to redeem himself and earn forgiveness from the most prominent person in this world for him. It wasn't actually a piece of cake for him at all.

Once the blonde came to her senses as its acute aroma of scrambled eggs, bacon and brewed coffee emanated from the kitchen, drawing her attention in no time as she rubbed with her creamy, elvish fists her drowsy hazelish-brown eyes by gasping in pain, due to the rough headache that hit her right away. Thereafter she released an instinctive, unwilling yawn, escaping her dry, ravishing red lips.

"Oh God! This headache is killing me," The middle-aged lady complained by abiding stoic as she abstained instantly of crying out loud in soreful, agonizing pain which invaded her mind and body. It resembled a hell for her the headache and the accident which befell her the last night. The explicit memories of the last night during and after the occurred incident haunted her like shadows, chasing her in the darkest corners of the room and her corrupted mind with its resurfaced somber, grim thoughts which sailed and sailed.

After the former nun got from the bed by unwrapping the velveteen blanket out of her frail skeleton, she hopped up in comfy slippers by strolling up to the bathroom to brush her teeth and splash some water on her palish, dry face.

"Judy? The breakfast is served!" Timothy held a platter with two mere black mugs of caffeine beverages, followed by plates with scrambled eggs and bacon and silverware eating tools by setting them on the wide table as soon as he stepped up in the bedroom by shouting the blonde's name. It flabbergasted him she wasn't there as the sole piece of track of the former sister of the Roman Catholic church was the unwrapped blanket, giving him evidence she was already awake. Nothing else he knew behind her disappearance! Even the en-suite bathroom door seemed untouched.

Suddenly, Jude left the bathroom by being mesmerized by the sight she recently witnessed. Timothy awaited her for sharing a piece of remarkable moment by having a breakfast altogether as its tray with their plates and mugs of morning coffee sat on the large table. A coy, boyish smile flourished on his berry-coloured lips as their eyes met, locking up her hone brown orbs, fulfilled with bewilderment and tinges of disgust. Bewilderment, factly, she eventually recalled who was the recent guest in the purgatory, part of the gothic castle's residence and he treated her affably since the beginning without being a toady. Disgust, due to the circumstance, the singer recalled with whom she shared a few rooms along and it was actually the love of her life, who forsaken her for his blinding, lunatic, divine Rome miracle and naively, cheekily believing her foes without listening to her story as well. What the middle-aged lady hankered for was suffocating him by wrapping tightly her petite, nonetheless, delicate and potent hands around his neck by choking him by tormenting him and pouring her entire, fiendish anger on him for his wrongdoings and detrimental deeds which affected her life even messing it up to edges, destroying sandcastles, embodying their mutual trust, celestial respect and love they've had built for years of hardwork and indisputably strong chemistry they had.

"Good morning, Judy!" He greeted her warmly as they took their seats against one another as the former man of the cloth gripped his mug of hot caffeine beverage by sipping it, feeling its liquor resurrecting his body and dry throat.

"Morning, Timothy! What's all this for?" She questioned in leery manner by taking her silverware fork by pronging the bacon as she sliced it with the silver knife which occupied her other hand, casting a ferocious glare on the younger man without averting her honey brown irises.

"I just wanted to share some moments with you and," He took a deep breath as his nervousness escalated to borderless, remorseful sensation of his heart falling his stomach, attempting to sort wisely his train of thoughts with his conflicting thoughts which swam in his frozen mind so that to not disappoint his love interest, resulting to not looking into one another's faces and exchanging any words ever again. It was as tough as confessing his most relentless, sinister confessions behind his guilt and immense shame behind his heinous deeds and wrongdoings as well. It was a burden, built its dull, solid barrier inside his somber, entirely enveloped in lurking, pitch-black shadows and tinges, which is almost impossible of being whacked and shattered with exception of admitting the ugliest truth and the atonement being accomplished. "Being forgiven for everything I genuinely regret, although I doubt it you will forgive me after all this shit." The juvenile man tried to not admire her ethereal grace she possessed especially her ringlet of silky, shaggy golden tresses, cascading down her upper back unless she vanishes at last.

"Of course, I won't forgive you! After everything you did to me. This bastard ambition of being a Pope and leaving the rare bird to rot in a mental hospital as you took everything from her should bring you an enormous shame, Timothy Howard! I think ya want to manipulate me and use me as a rag doll temporarily until ya get sick and tired of me by throwing me away somewhere where you won't set a foot ever again." Her delirious, humongous rage emanated from his honeyed words which she loathed to hear from the man she used to love, worship and have indecent even impure thoughts of until he pursued his dream and achieved it by himself as it was his second nature to pursue his dreams rather than to be concerned and show compassion to his most remarkable person, who's the essential reason for his remorses he felt now. "How I'm supposed to forgive somebody who I used to love, worship even have impure thoughts of?" Wry, sarcastic giggle escaped her damp, bright red-coloured lips as luminous, marvelous gore.

"Judy, at least understand the forgiveness is a key to the next step which is part of our afterlife. It doesn't costs a handful of seconds to say these little words," The former holy man curtly replied, as a result of his prompt, plucked up courage lastly until the former woman of the cloth snapped at him in livid, undiplomatic manner. What she least might forgive was the person who not only criminally betrayed her, moreover stripped her off her ecclesiastical title she gloriously wore to conceal the darkness of her birth name and iniquitous, questionable past, besides her memorable, significant paraphernalia and their mutual, unconditional trust. The false hopes of being rescued were delivered like requiem, chanted to her as his absence didn't endure for days. Days transformed into months. Months into eternal years as if they bear a resemblance gloomy, timeless centuries. 

"That's it ya, hypocritical bootlicker!" The singer got from the table as she went to the grandiose, lacquered in cherry wood wardrobe by preparing a pair of casual garments such as a knee length, cotton black skirt, thin black pantyhose, wine red top with V neckline and satin long sleeves, pair of clean, unused pair of wine red lingerie. Timothy gawked her in vast astonishment, feeling impotent to stop her as she grabbed a mere white towel as she opted to ignore him as much as possible. In the meanwhile, he got from his seat by ambling up to her in order to halt her as the singer planned to take a morning shower. 

"Jude, please! The breakfast is our first step to," 

"Do not touch me, asshole! I didn't know ya how one man as a sheer innocence and benevolence oozed from him can drastically change and transform into nothing more than a puppet of the his dreams and the fucking church rather than to realize what kind of hopes do ya eventually delivered me." The blonde resumed as she insanely bewailed at him as she yanked herself  by evading his touch of his mammoth, smooth hand, growling aggressively by clutching her firm, ivory teeth as her face grotesquely grimaced. Grotesquely grimaced the face she used to be veiled in, due to the fact, Timothy was the recent victim of being a prisoner nowhere else than a melancholic, gothic castle as a spectral, incarnating the purgatory itself. "False hopes, Timothy Howard! It was ya who deserved to be locked in the shithole for doing this. Don't you realize how immensely you broke my heart? Huh?" She casted on him a fatal, lethal glare, seconds before storming off in the en-suite bathroom and lock herself. 

"Jude," In this moment, the former holy man lowered his head as his heartache encumbered him even more momentarily after she slammed harshly, unrelievedly the door. Encumbered his conscience and flimsy heart as it hammered heavily in his chest, bleeding a waterfall of thick, unholy, sanguine, magnificent blood as it pooled his feet. Furthermore, he wasn't able to proceed with his utterance as the neglection he earned from the ex-woman of the cloth. It alook like the remorseless, brutal betrayal towards her which he did to her especially when they mortals.

All of a sudden, a couple of door raps caught promptly his attention as his heart leaped in anticipation who was the uninvited guest, who disturbs him as he was all alone with his train of thoughts and prejudices.

"Who it would be now?" An inner, mellow voice echoed in his hectic mind, sealed with train of thoughts, lingering his fresh brain cells.

Timothy marched up to the door as his hand lowered down to the iron doorknob, pressing it until he was met with the former young nun, Mary Eunice and Jude and Timothy's love child, Elsie.

The young blond nun's porcelain, as pale as vanilla skin tone highlighting her soft, youthful facial features and her plumpish, soft as satin rosy-coloured lips and ocean blue eyes, fueled with pure, childish innocence and benevolence. Her ringlet of golden tresses descended down to her mid-back, framing ideally her angelic complexion. She wore a wide white-shirt with ruffled cuffs, long sleeves, sleeving her slim arms as a handful of floral buttons were left unbuttoned. Satin emerald green knee length skirt flared her round knees once her hem danced with each moved muscle of her legs. Silver, floral stud earrings buttoned her earlobes. The fragrance of apples emanated of her ringlet of golden tresses as if a real angel visited him, metaphorically contrasting the gothic, morbid atmosphere which flooded the grand, old chateau.

Whilst the six-year-old, Elsie was alook like her father as if she was mini Timothy. The young girl possessed a waterfall of chestnut curls, as big as full moon chocolate brown pools, glinted with sheer, lucid innocence, felicity and scorching love. Her plumpish, baby pinkish lips highlighted her fair skin tone of her complexion as she had her mother's button, elegant nose, well-shaped eyebrows and elvish ears, haloing it. The love child was dressed up in a plum purple gothic dress knee length with black strips, cotton long sleeves and boat neckline, exposing partly her creamy as baby skin of her chest.Mary Jane black as onyx shoes shoed her tiny feet as a black thin pantyhose layered her wee legs.

Elsie was actually Judy and Timothy’s creation, made of their flesh and blood. When the middle-aged woman was committed to Briarcliff as a patient after she lost everything, she gave a birth to Elsie behind the cold, barren walls of the mental institution as Timothy took their daughter and the last time when the singer has seen her love child was actually moments after the infant took her initial breath, besides her high-pitched cry sailed in her ward.

Even when the former Cardinal was no longer in Boston as he took with himself his bastard daughter, he hided his own daughter from the other clerical members of the clergy even the Roman Catholic mass. Even more he hired a babysitter to look after the little girl when he was with the mass until he gets back at home and spend and look after his little ray of sunshine.  

“Mary Eunice and Elsie! You are back!” Timothy embraced them tightly as if the blonde former young nun was actually her daughter, due to the fact Jude has always considered her protégé as her own daughter role model and the former elder nun was unconditionally doted on her.

“Monsignor?” Mary Eunice whispered bashfully between the hug as she dangled her arms around his shoulders. The young woman closed her sapphire blue eyes for a while, relishing its warmness of the hug.

“It’s no longer, Monsignor, Mary Eunice!” Afterwards the both young adults broke off the hug as Timothy crouched down to his daughter by clasping his arms around her upper back.

“Dad! I missed you so much!” Elsie evoked out by throwing her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder as the unwed father of hers his heart severely ached in his ribs for killing with his own silver blade his precious, most unique treasure he had ever had along with Jude, seconds before ending his life so that to not find double evidence against him and confront the sinister consequences of his criminal deeds and wrongdoings, as a result of Briarcliff’s corruption and hiring a warcriminal as a doctor of science as his patients cryptically vanished.

“My Elsie! Dad missed you a lot too! I’m so happy for seeing my little girl there.” Shortly after they broke off the embrace as he rose up. His chocolate brown eyes were fixed on his adorable daughter who was mini Timothy as his orbs glistened scintillas of unalloyed glee. How long it has been since he has seen the spectral of his daughter, lurking in the purgatory? He admired every facial feature of hers even her beaming, childish, merry smile, cracked on her face as the former holy man couldn’t suppress a growing radiant, joyous smile, honed up in the corner of his lips.

“T-Timothy,” The young lady caught his former victim of her possessed, diabolic version whose azure blue eyes glanced at the table with a tray of breakfast for 2 people as it abided unfinished as well.

“Mmm?”

“Why they seem unfinished? I mean,” The former young sister of the church timidly approached the table with the tray as her knee length skirt flared across her knees as a summer breeze. In the interval, she stammered by taking a deep breath, seconds before proceeding with her exclaimation, whilst the single father and his sole daughter fixed their gawks on the young blonde, observing her coyish body language and manners without peeling a single word unless she’s finished with her speech. “The morning coffee is undrank and the plates aren’t even emptied. With whom did you share a breakfast?”

“It was with Jude.” The suddenness of Mary Eunice inconvenienced the young man as he ushered her to come with her in the kitchen as Elsie docilely, obediently followed her father as they rambled up to the kitchen, awaiting Mary Eunice. “Let’s discuss it in the kitchen!” He opened the door for the both females by stepping aside, holding the door with a flourishing smile on his berry-coloured, damp lips. “Ladies first!” In the meantime, Mary Eunice and Elsie stepped up inside the sufficiently spacious kitchen as they took seats on the kitchen table.

“Thank you!” The both females expressed their gratitude in unison as the former priest shut the kitchen door gingerly.

The kitchen was sufficiently expansive. The walls were painted in Prussian blue as its tiled flooring was black and Prussian blue again, matching ideally with its furnitures and walls as well. There were 5 dark, polished in black as midnight chairs as its kitchen table was wide and oval shaped, adorned with charcoal plaid blanket, blanketing it.  In the middle of the kitchen table was seating a marble obsidian vase with navy blue and black roses as a deep blue ribbon enveloped the vase itself. The kitchen and bathroom were the sole linked rooms to the chateau’s bedroom which didn’t have any windows. In addition to the kitchen’s decoration, there was an ordinary microwave, onyx refrigerator and a handful of watercolor paintings, hanging on the Prussian blue walls, embellishing it.

“Would you like something to eat or drink? What kind of treat might I offer you?”

“I don’t want anything, Timothy! That’s so kind of you!” The juvenile blonde giggled vaguely, unsettledly.

“I want some cherry juice and a cupcake.” The young girl replied with monstrous enthusiasm, vomited in her childish, joyful voice by clapping her hands rejoiced as she was beyond ecstatic for seeing her father and uniting together even when they are in purgatory yet.

“Of course, my little princess! You will get it since you’re a good girl and dad loves you!” He walked up to the refrigerator by collecting a bottle of cherry natural juice and a chocolate cupcake, thereafter closing it with an elbow by placing them on the counterplot by taking from the onyx upper kitchen cabinet an empty glass as he poured its juice liquid and serving the treats to his daughter.

“Thank you, dad! You’ve always done anything for me to be happy.” Consequently the both juvenile adults couldn’t help but chuckle at the infant’s words as she giggled humbly by sipping her cherry natural juice, hence, munching a small bite of her chocolate cupcake. “You did this cupcake?”

 

“I didn’t. It’s supposed to be your mother.” He swallowed hard at the thought of Jude baking the cupcakes as left them disquiet, due to the fact the former Monsignor was beyond heartbroken by his right hand’s bellicose demeanor earlier today, besides their love child has never seen her mother shortly after her birth.

“My mom?” The little brunette questioned by vaguely bowing her head as she looked down at her brittle, petite hand that held the cupcake in idle manner. “Where’s she?”

“She’s taking a shower in the bathroom.”

“What happened between you and Jude?” The abrupt inquiry of the young blonde drew immediately the former holy man as he felt more remorses sailing in his minds and soul, gnawing him progressively. Even when she posed the question with inquisiteveness, whereas he squeezed his knees, feeling daggers transpiercing his chest as thick, marvelous blood spruted, it hurt him more and more mentally.

“Urm,” The young man took a deep breath by inhaling afterwards as he eyed emotionlessly as his smile faded on his complexion once he should confront the demons which haunted and tormented him. The demons, who didn’t permit him to live peacefully without thinking of his murderous, calluous actions towards the person who he betrayed in the limbo and most of all delivering her false hopes, and depriving their love child as he looked after it and raised it on his own for 6 years until the time when Timothy was more than ready to commit suicide and end 2 lives. One bland life which was reckoned as his, whilst the golden, one of a kind and fledgling life, was considered as his only daughter and heiress he had if it’s not Judy.  “This morning I woke up a bit earlier than Jude and I made breakfast by putting efforts to be as scrumptious as she would love to since she has never tasted from my dishes. After she woke up and I served the breakfast, she thought I was trying to bootlick her so that to earn her trust as quickly as possible, despite the fact I weren’t saint either. I wanted to be diplomatic with her and even have a normal, human treatment by her, although the forgiveness is another key to take the further step in our lives. Throughout she went in the bathroom as she was fed up and slammed the door.”

“Oh!” Mary Eunice cried by playing absentmindedly, skittishly with her long, elegant fingers as flute’s strings. “It’s my fault for doing all this to both of you. For violating you and teaming with Arden against her. And that’s why she was imprisoned. I couldn’t believe what baloney I spoke so that to be as manipulative as I thought.” Meantime the young brunette was masticating another bite of her chocolate dessert by sipping of her cherry juice, feeling its fruit liquid resuciating her body and organs, hearkening unintentionally the both adults’ grave discussion as Mary Eunice was redeeming herself for causing the entire detrimental, aghast damage not only to Jude, but also Timothy, himself. At last but not least, the young woman lift ounce off her shoulders which were built in her afterlife after fessing the ugliest truth behind her dreadful actions.

“It’s fine, Mary Eunice! You’re being forgiven but never forget I was much worse and horrible person than you. I ruined her life.” Timothy clamped with his both mammoth, secure hands his daughter’s ears so that to not lend an ear to their serious conversation even affecting her worldview by overthinking the dilemma. “It was my fault for believing not only you, moreover Dr.Arden and Leigh as they accused her in something which she might never done since she’s an amazing woman and person. It’s impossible she would capable of doing such shit to endanger even more the Briarcliff’s reputation than me. I threw her away in the hellhole to rot and took away everything she possessed.” He commenced to list the motives that rendered him appalling person as he was gradually avouching until no patches were imprinted on his troublesome, penitent heart. “The job she loved. Her trust and ardent love she had towards me. Her ecclestiatical title and her remarkable, nevertheless hardly any belongings she truly valued and had always with herself. Even worse. Our daughter Elsie.” In this moment, the blonde listened attentively without peeling a single word as she heaved an exhale after he uttered the thing that tormented him the most. “Let’s not forget It was even my fault when I murdered you when I threw you from the third floor. I was powerless and could no longer let the demon reign Briarcliff with somebody who’s part of the church. I’m a monster, I know.” All of a sudden, Timothy couldn’t feel any longer the sorrow boiling inside his body like cauldron, filled with toxic liquid as he began sobbing, uttering the final syllables in tearful, vulnerable voice.

Silence fell between them as Mary Eunice cleared her throat, whilst the hush intensified even more as it advanced and advanced without resulting an interruption as well. Timothy knew right away the former young sister of the church won’t forgive him, but at least he seeked her forgiveness and wanted to achieve atonement even if it’s the least deserved thing he should receive it right away. A

Further, it was the young blonde who broke the ice at first:

“It’s okay, Timothy! You are being forgiven and I know how much do you regret for the razor-sharp damage you did to her when you were still alive. You have yet hope in redeeming yourself in the name of your love to her. I know you love her since the beginning though there were other factors which deprived you to confess your feelings for her.” In the interval, Timothy couldn’t repress a gulp, swallowed in his throat when he heard Jude’s favorite protégé declaration as she included the undeniable, inevitable circumstance of his passionate, unarguable love he had for his rare bird. “However, you have chance to be together even in your afterlife. The first step which you should take is indeed achieve her forgiveness because if you don’t, otherwise you will never be in peace with yourself. Let’s not even forget she’s amidst the souls which can save you with your daughter.”

“You don’t understand she might never forgive me for the damage I did to her. It’s insanely difficult. She’s a tough cookie which I completely comprehend.”

“The forgiveness will be conclusive key whether if the sequel of your love story is going to be a fact. Just give her some time and space. Don’t be too compulsive!”

 

A handful of hours later after the middle-aged blonde left the bathroom by dressing up herself in a wine red top with V neckline and satin longsleeves, sleeving her frail arms,followed by thin black pantyhose, layering as long as tower, drop-dead gorgeous legs, black cotton knee length skirt and wine red chunks, shielding her elvish feet. Glittering onyx studs buttoned her earlobes. Afterwards, she left her room where she’s destined to share it with her roommate,rival and love interest in the same time by descending the stairway for the second floor by going in the library.

Once she stepped up in the grandiose library of the gothic castle, her inquisitiveness of inspecting the bookshelves with sorted by alphabet order and genres books. Her hazelish-brown eyes, fulfilled with serenity, childish curiosity of discovering the world that encircled her contemplated absentmindedly the wooden, swankily lacquered in specific paint as it resembled an aristrocratic library. Not just an usual one, in spite of its old age.

“Oh God! What a paradise of books!” The elder blonde exclaimed elated as she placed on top of her chest her palm, lightly pressing it as she felt the hammering, frequent heart beats, contemplating in awe Judy’s surroundings.

Thereafter her heels slowly clicked against the marble flooring with each took step by surveying the library as time was on her hands. The dead silence as it sunk inside the library somewhat disturbed her as she felt all alone, being trapped by swarm of shadows and invisible, invincible demons of her past, stalking her until her days were reckoned.

“How may I help you, ma’am?” The librarian asked as she stood in front of the former devotional woman of the cloth by offering her a sympathetic, serene smile, formed on her lips.

“Oh! Pardon, I didn’t expect this.” Jude flinched as she turned to the affable librarian.

The librarian was actually in the beginning of her 50s with medium bob dark red haircut, peaking to her neck. Her skin tone was mildly olive tanned, highlighting her naturally graceful facial features on her vaguely wrinkled complexion. She wasn’t wearing any make-up. Namely natural beauty. Her lips were naturally, heart-shaped rosy-coloured. Additionally, she usually wore crimson and black garments such as black shirt with a couple of undone buttons, followed by crimson trousers, outlining her slightly flabby legs, black and red stilettos, crimson tie, matching ideally with her daily outfit. Ruby studs pierced into her earlobes by framing her beautiful complexion. Her nails were polished in scarlet and black as usually. Furthermore, she was being a librarian for a long time and the cause of her death was one of clients in the library was involved in massacre as she was midst the victims.

Her fragrance was always cinnamon and lilac, in fact, her perfumes were lilac and she drank her morning coffees with cinnamon.

“It’s fine! Don’t be too anxious!”

“Are you actually the librarian of this library?”

“Yes, definitely! May I know your name, ma’am?”

“Judy Martin!”

“Judy! What a wonderful name!” The librarian couldn’t help but compliment graciously her recent client who entered through the gates of the library. “I’m Melinda Spencer! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Judy!” They shook their hands as their handshake lasted for a split second, without breaking their awkward eye contact as Jude wore a sheepish, demure smile, hugging her rosy-coloured, dazzling lips.

“Thank you! It’s my pleasure, Ms. Spencer! I’m just here to tour around the library and look for some interesting Literature if it’s grabs my eye at first sight.”

“Of course! I just like to introduce myself to the clients and most of all, help them if they’re struggling with finding some books.”

“I see. Aren’t you kinda busy now?” The native Bostonian enquired with mild concern, vomited in her voice by walking up to the bookshelf with cooking books.

“Not at all! Lately the clients aren’t regular. Also they don’t visit too much these days. It’s weird what bizarre things are happening there.” Melinda muttered by escorting the Bostonian lady as she arched an eyebrow in perplexion, amusing her how it comes the clients aren’t a lot, factly, the librarian is amiable and open-minded.

“Oh! Who knows them? Probably they have a slight interest in reading books or there’s another reason why they come here.”

“It depends of the people, themselves! Well, Judy, if you need me for something you’re tremendously looking for as books, look for me around the library and tell me right away. Okay?”

“Okay!” Subsequently, the singer took the first cooking book by opening its first pages by scanning its text for a while, eyeing it. “An Italian gourmet Catering! Hmm?” She carried on as she was beyond pensive by perusing it’s the dish’s ingredients and proper instructions for cooking it. Then she flipped by skipping a couple of more pages. What she found more in the cookery book? Goth sushi. Almond pulp. Raspberry bread. Cinnamon French Toast Bites. Lastly she closed the cookery book by leaving it on the bookshelf’s row from where she took it by heading towards the other bookshelf, full of psychological books.

“Judy? Judy?” The German emigrant exclaimed plainly with her firm German accent, accentuated by the way she spelled the Bostonian’s name.

“Ah, Elsa? It’s ya!” The former holy woman turned to Elsa who was on her left side by setting free a cheerful, self-conscious chuckle at her own embarrassment for not expecting to meet the other singer, who was part of her duet the night before. “I haven’t been expecting ya so far there.”

“It’s alright, my darling! Are ya feeling better?” The former freak show owner questioned concerned by caressing faintly, gingerly with her fingers the other blonde’s cheek as her fingertips tipped her cheekbone’s flesh.

“Better than the last night. My knees no longer hurt after the incident, miraculously. But I had a rough headache this morning shortly after I woke up.”

“Ah, I’m glad you’re better than then. Is it your head hurting yet?”

“Not anymore.”

“Splendid! I’m concerned for you, ya know, Mein Liebchen!” A reassuring, optimistic smile distorted across Elsa’s bloody red lips. “Are you going to be part of the show tonight?”

“I’ll be, of course! I don’t like to be pitied at all, Elsa.”

“It’s okay. I’m not piting you. I was just,” As the other middle-aged woman was about to resume her sentence, light footsteps of a little girl clicked against the marble library floor as they were oblivious for the both adults.

“Mama?” Elsie evoked by recognizing ideally who was actually her mother, noticing she was accompanied by other lady who eerily resembled her and shared something oddly in common.


	4. Atonement I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa attempts to help Jude by advising her though her stubborness. Timothy earns Elsa and Esther's counsil. Judy's demeanor towards Timothy drastically changes for better. Are they going to accomplish an atonement?

 

 

"Who's that little ray of sunshine, Judy? Your sweet daughter?" The German emigrant joyously enquired with her firm, hoarse accent as she fixed her hazelish-brown eyes on Elsie as they glinted sheer maternal love, warmness. A beaming, affectionate smile danced on her bloody red lips as the both women verged to have a heart attack as they turned to the little girl by the least expecting her in the library. It has been always a miracle for the former freak show owner to have her own children though she secretly envied Jude for able having her own mini creations, made of her flesh and blood. Envied, due to the fact, she has never thought of having her own biological and considered the freaks who used to be her family as her own children, regardless the sinister, earthbound circumstances. The insatiable, bland fame which she harvested via Hollywood, owning her own show were the reasons why she was childless lady.

In the interval, Elsie offered the both women a benevolent, bashful smile, cracked upon her flushed face.

"It's her!" Judy answered completely sure by swatting affably, euphorically her frail shoulder, subsequently crouching down to her sweet little ray of sunshine. "My Elsie! My heart! Come here Mommy to give ya a big, warm hug!" Meantime Jude snaked her protective, doting arms around her daughter's mid-back by pulling her in a tight, warm embrace, whilst the young brunette purred between the embrace as they shut their flimsy eyelids, relishing its moment. Moment as it was their initial reunion especially in their afterlife. Moment, which she reckoned it as the best thing after holding a grudge when Timothy opted to earn her forgiveness or earn heer normal treatment at least even if he didn't deserve it at all.

"Mommy? Where have ya been for so long?"

"I didn't know ya were there until you finally came by yourself. The whole yourself and brought me enormous happiness, my ray of sunshine." The former sister of the Roman Catholic church murmured cheerfully as the young girl nuzzled her mother's bosom as it has been a long time since she's been with somebody else than her own mother. It molted her heart to edges. Little did she know why her love child was already dead and midst the spectrals inside the purgatory. What if she acknowledged right away the murderer who took her life right away as if she was nothing than a toy for the dangerous, exceedingly perilous assassin? It would render Jude livid, of course. Her loathe towards him would escalate until their toxic, unexplainable relationship improves for better as they work on and accomplish mutual atonement by concluding the purgatory quest, thereafter finding peace with themselves at last.

"Daddy brought me there, thanks to the hostess as he insists to be with you, Mommy!" Elsie commenced explaining shortly after they broke off the hug as they eventually relished its sweet, prominent moment they had. Once the former devotional woman of the cloth heard the word Daddy, she repress her overthinking train of thoughts of the man she lustfully loved and searingly detested for each heinous, foul deeds he did to her, in order to keep their daughter away from her claws and guarding his bland, revered reputation.

"Well, it seems he cares a bit about me, at least." Jude pessimistically replied by pecking a loving kiss on Elsie's creamy, palish forehead. 

"Judy! He's trying to help." The German lady attempted to persuade her friend and colleague after figuring out everything behind her drama with Timothy and how she snapped at him and neglected whenever she had the genuine opportunity to grant him a second chance even without forgetting the somber past and take a further step in their relationship's repair. "He's the answer to the unanswered questions in which he's involved, of course!"

"How a traitor is supposed to be helpful since he has enough done to get me in pitch-black mess without an escape from the darkness, Elsa?" In this moment, the Bostonian snapped exasperated at the other blonde as Elsie and Elsa pursed their plumpish lips. Then she held her sole daughter's hand as she was more than pigheadedly determined to flee the library as soon as possible and take a nap, in case to calm her nerves and spend some time with her precious Elsie. 

"At least, listen to his motives and be as patient and less hot-tempered as possible. You will win him again. Trust me!" The former Hollywood actress attempted to give her counsel to the other singer as Jude was beyond flabbergasted by her calm voice without trying to raise her voice. In the meanwhile, Elsa's fingers kneaded lightly, gingerly Judy's cheekbone, in fact, to alleviate her since severely pulsating heart peaked to spring up of her chest, resembling a toy-out-of-sandbox.

"I don't even need to try with him to give him a second chance which he will spit on it." The young girl opted to not overhear the both women's conversation as she contemplated blankly, absentmindedly the former freak show owner without peeling a single word by ruining their remarkable, grave conversation as well. "It's a total waste of time, Elsa." 

"One day, you would look back in the past and hearing the echoes of inner voices as mine is messaging you. I was right. It was necessarily to listen my word, at least. You're adults for heaven sake! I've always believed the forgiveness is an answer and healing wounds of the past without holding grudges."

"I wish ya were right, Elsa. But there's nothing I can do about it." Judy heaved a jaded sigh from the top of her brittle lungs. Afterwards the middle-aged mother with her daughter headed towards the library's exit without turning their backs.   


"How's this poor blonde pressumed to be so stubborn? I completely get it how deeply hurt she's by somebody she used to love than herself and her own life. But the forgiveness…forgiveness is a key for redemption." One of the inner voices echoed in Elsa's conflicted mind when the library's door slammed promptly, ringing wails into her sensitive ears.

“Mommy, why don’t ya speak to Daddy?” The brunette spoke as she grasped her mother’s hand as soon as they walked through the dim light hallway of the gothic chateau, passing a couple of stranger people who wandered in the long corridor as they went in different directions whether descending or imposing the stairs, entering in different rooms or otherwise exiting them. Moreover, Elsie was beyond inquisitive behind her parents’ relationship as she had opulent questions, swimming in her mind though it broke the middle-aged mother’s heart, feeling dozens of arrows shot in different parts of her body. Arrows, which were inevitably venomous and tormented her.

“Sweetheart, we’ve our own times when I and your Daddy don’t want to talk to one another. They just need some time and I don’t want to brainwash ya.” The former woman of the cloth heaved a weary sigh as her chunks clicked against the carpeted flooring, sourcing sounds in the almost muting silence that arched in the corridors of the gothic chateau. What the singer wasn’t capable of was actually let the cat out of the bag about her love interest, due to the fact, it might not only affect her worldview detrimentally about Timothy, but also not perceiving him as the father she’s doted on ever again, besides having nightmares as he’s either the protagonist or antagonist in her dreams. Her smile wiped off her childish, creamy face.

“Mommy, I really want to know more about him.” Elsie insisted as she didn’t give up as easily as Judy expected. Little did she know how strong-willed for the upfront circumstance she wants to hear even confront as a demon, regardless what does her mother think. “Please, Mommy!”

“You should rest for a while, Elsie! You seem pretty tired as we take a nap for a while.” Consequently they went upstairs as they paced in the hall of the third floor until they reached their room where she shares it with the former man of the cloth. At last but not least, the blonde opted to assure her daughter without further with her prying questions over her biological father and why their relationship was indisputably intricating as well.

“Huh?” Afterwards she opened her room’s door by shutting it after she stepped inside by closing it behind herself and locking it, as a result of gaining more peaceful catnap during the wee hours of the afternoon. In the meantime, she kicked off her shoes as she released her daughter from her hand grip by letting her to amble up to the king-sized bed, sitting on the edge of it by taking her Mary Jane shoes off.

“It’s alright, sweetie! The afternoon naps are the best medicament for relaxation. They’re so worthy.” Thereafter the former sister of the church sat on the bed by planting a loving, sweet kiss on her inquisitive daughter’s cheek by stripping almost each garment of hers until she wore nothing else than her lacy wine red lingerie that hugged her curvy, slender yet body by unclasping her bra in a swift motion and placing the discarded clothes on the chair by putting on her satin red slip which she used to wear as a piece of garment in the cold, relentlessly desolated nights in Briarcliff when she used to be a head nun of the mental hospital. In the interim, Elsie was already under the velveteen blanket as she blanketed her body and preferred to follow docilely her mother’s advice for the afternoon catnaps rather than overlooking it. “It’s considered as a bonus sleep. It’s doubtlessly beneficial not only for the kids, even more for the adults. Ya are still growing, darling!” A rasping chuckle escaped her lips by joining Elsie in the bed and cuddling as mother and daughter, ensuring her maternal love and security which she yearned for years even in her mortal life.

“I love you so much, Mommy!”

“I love you too more than anything, Elsie! My only sweetie!”

Whilst the love child and Jude were napping in the room, the former holy man was descending the stairway to the first floor as he wanted to soothe his nerves after the tough morning clash he had with his right hand as her high-pitched yelling haunted him.

"Of course, I won't forgive you! After everything you did to me. This bastard ambition of being a Pope and leaving the rare bird to rot in a mental hospital as you took everything from her should bring you an enormous shame, Timothy Howard! I think ya want to manipulate me and use me as a rag doll temporarily until ya get sick and tired of me by throwing me away somewhere where you won't set a foot ever again." First inner voice, imitating the blonde’s hostile speech caused him to halt in the middle of the first floor’s long hallway as he held his temple with both hands, abiding stoic. His long, dexterous fingers worked on tipping the flesh of his forehead, lowering his head as his chocolate brown eyes which lost its glossiness after the conflict between him and Judy, eyed emotionlessly, glassy the carpeted flooring as its bar sign glowing in violet letters partly illuminated his facial features even his muscles.

"That's it ya, hypocritical bootlicker!" A second voice dwelled into his mind, agonizing him with vague headache as it pulsated into his ears as a heavy heart beat.

"Do not touch me, asshole! I didn't know ya how one man as a sheer innocence and benevolence oozed from him can drastically change and transform into nothing more than a puppet of the his dreams and the fucking church rather than to realize what kind of hopes do ya eventually delivered me. False hopes, Timothy Howard! It was ya who deserved to be locked in the shithole for doing this. Don't you realize how immensely you broke my heart? Huh?" Third inner voice muttered inside him as he rubbed his temple with his adroit fingers delicately.

“You should just stop!” The former Monsignor grumbling by grunting, chewing his plump, berry-coloured dry lip until  a feminine voice echoed in the hall, snapping him out of his train of thoughts and delusional inner voices as they worked on his cells, chivying him.

“Tim, are you well?” The black-haired woman appeared beside him as she took her first drag of her mint cigarette by blowing severe dim in the corridor by cupping his jawline as she tilted his head to lock up his chocolate orbs into her aqua blue. In the meanwhile, she offered him a mischievous, composed smile, crawled on her pale as ghost complexion. “Is anything wrong?”

“Ah, nothing! It’s just my inner voices talking to me and it gives me a headache.” The former member of the clergy retorted as his voice abided calm though a tad huffy as it sent shivers down his spine by the way she cupped his jawline, in spite of the hostess didn’t have any intentions to kiss him.

“It’s alright. Ya can come in the bar and have a drink. It will calm yar nerves. Tell me more about these inner voices in your head.” Afterwards they walked inside the bar as Timothy was the first one to let Esther pass by holding the door for her, as a result of strolling up to the bar as Elsa was seating on the high bar chair, awaiting.

“Do you think you’d believe me, Esther? They’re Jude’s ones.”

“It doesn’t matter. Spill the tea!” Once they seated alongside one another as Timothy was sitting between Elsa and Esther, the German lady offered a boosterish smile, whilst the French bartender appear by startling the former holy man in the least predictable moment.

“ _Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba_ _!_ _Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba_ _!_ _I found a reason to keep livin'_ _!_ _Oh, and the reason dear is you_ _!_ _I found a reason to keep singin'_ _!_ _Wow-woh, and the reason dear is you_ _!_ ” The Velvet Underground’s song _I Found a Reason_ currently played in the background of the almost empty gothic bar as it sunk solely in the sounds of chattering clients and the gothic songs that usually played, fetching atmosphere inside the forlorn bar.

“I would like some Bermudez rom for me, please!” The young man ordered for himself an alcoholic beverage as the black-haired woman took a second drag of its cigar length by blowing dim, diffusing around her. Meantime the French barman obediently did what he has being told as he prepared an empty scotch glass, thereafter grasping the deep green rom bottle by popping it up by pouring some liquor in the scotch glass until it filled the middle. In a split second, his glass was filled with alcoholic liquor by handing it to his recent client. “Thank you!” Timothy nodded humbly by gripping the glass of rom in his hand, feeling its coldness contacting his creamy palm.

“Is there anything wrong, Timothy?” Elsa inquired concerned by noting how desperately the younger man gawking blankly, jaded his scotch glass of Bermudez rom, sipping it.

“Not exactly!” He imitated a fake gasp by clearing his throat as his adroit fingers caressed the glass as if it resembled the touch of a mother fondling her newborn child’s soft head. He slightly lowered his head. “The inner voices bother me.”

“What they’re exactly telling you if you don’t mind to tell us?” The middle-aged singer asked by biting her bottom bloody red lip as she was eager to find out what burdened the former Cardinal.

“I remember perfectly every detail of these inner voices, speaking to me in my head. They’re Jude’s, of course! They’re fulfilled with her ire. There’s no mercy in them.  I understand what kind of an asshole I was to her back in our mortal life then.” Timothy took a deep breath by sipping of his alcoholic beverage as he felt the alcohol liquor burning the corners of his mouth, body and organs, resurrecting them by feeling mildly, gradually relaxed with each sip of it. “She doesn’t want even to forgive me. She obviously hated the breakfast we shared together earlier today. She didn’t want even to speak to me and she addressed me asshole which is pretty apparent. You can figure out for yourselves what Judy said.”

“ _Oh, I do believe_ _if you don't like things you leave_ _f_ _or someplace you've never_ _gone before_ _!_ _Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba_ _!_ _Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba_ _!_ ”

“Do not call yarself an asshole! I was a murderer and an incarnation of the evil. The devil. The sins of the humanity. It’s okay to be an asshole because even the afterlife is another opportunity to give evidence ya weren’t a terrible person with criminal deeds.” Esther exhaled dramatically at Timothy’s pessimism and self-criticism in calling himself an asshole.

“I wasn’t a holy saint either when I was a mortal. I have taken the lives of some living souls. I craved for fame and glory.”

“It’s not as atrocious as mine deeds, Elsa and Esther! I murdered with my two bare hands 2 innocent souls. I believed Jude’s foes as they manipulated me even this Nazi warcriminal blackmailed me. I took everything away from the love of my life as she had no longer a clerical title, belongings, our precious daughter as Elsie was constantly with me and her babysitter. Literally it’s much worse and I delivered her false hopes which I can’t even forgive myself anymore. It haunts me like ghosts. I can hear even echoes in my head. You don’t understand who’s the horriblest person in this bar. It’s me.”

“Just do anything about the question of the redemption.” Esther advised by taking another drag of her mint cigarette, emitting dim of her mouth and tender nostrils. Furthermore, Timothy shrugged his shoulders reluctantly by licking his lips greedily, gamely with his wet tongue as its circled its searing, sweet taste of the sinful beverage.

“Hans Grupper used to work as a doctor in Briarcliff? Is that even true, Timothy?” The German emigrant couldn’t keep her tongue behind her teeth once she heard the keywords which ideally framed Dr.Arden, himself. Even more she eventually figured out for herself why Jude was stiff-necked and somewhat irked. In fact, the both singers shared something in common and it was their potent, ceaseless abhorrent to the warcriminal.

“Unfortunately, yes. He changed his name into Arthur Arden, according to Sam Goodman, who’s known as a Nazi hunter. Jude was telling me the truth in the entire time as it sparkled in the middle of the darkness without even giving a try to side with her against Arden, no matter if I’d give a damn to let him expose Briarcliff and let his blackmail plan work.”

“ _Honey, I found a reason to keep livin'_ _a_ _nd you know the reason dear it's you_ _  
And I've walked down life's lonely highways_ _,_ _hand in hand with myself_ _!_ _And I realize_ _how many paths have crossed between us_ _!_ ”

“Oh! You weren’t a lucky pal to work with an asshat who amputated my legs when I used to be younger.” The middle-aged lady confessed with her husky, firm German accent, accentuated on her pronounciaiton by inhaling inwardly, coldly as she scarcely blinked her eyelids. Further, her confession of her grim past when she used to live in Germany haunted her as well.

“What? W-what he did?” Esther and Timothy gaped with agape mouths the elder singer, stammering as they struggled to spell the syllables as they were more than mortified by the Nazi warcriminal’s barbarous deed towards to the former freak show owner as she pushed her gown’s satin hem up to her mid-thigh, revealing her wooden prosthesis as she lowered her other free hand by tipping with fingers its wooden material of her prosthesis.

“He amputated my legs when I was younger. I’ve always detested him with burning passion.”

“I didn’t know he can be such abominable piece of shit.” Esther muttered out by taking a puff of her cigar length again and again, swaying her hips in the music’s rhythm idly.

“I deeply regret for permitting him being part of Briarcliff’s dutiets. I shouldn’t let a barbarous monster to work under the facility’s roof.” The former man of the cloth gulped in a single sip the rest of his Bermudez rom’s beverage by slamming the glass on the bar’s wooden desk. What he profoundly, immensely regretted was allowing the plague of his inescapable remorses plague his conscience, mind and body, incapable of halting them unless he lifts ounce off his shoulders.

“You can’t change anything about your past but ya can have a fresh start without looking back in the face of the evil’s past. Or otherwise, the consequences are determinally crude and implacable for ya by torturing ya even more unlike now. “

“ _Oh, I do believe_ _you are what you perceive_ _!_ _What comes is better than what_ _came before_ _!_ _Oh, I do believe_ _you are what you perceive_ _!_ ”

“Do you want one more drink, sir?” The French bartender questioned graciously by wearing a sympathetic, composed smile, distorted across his lips.

“No, no, thank you!” Timothy replied plainly by abiding affable.

“Tim?” Esther evoked out, taunting the former holy man.

“Yes, Esther?” He swallowed a lump in his throat by turning to the black-haired woman as their eyes met, locking up her aqua blue irises in gleeful, beaming eye contact without breaking it promptly. “Don’t get me wrong! I’m trying to change the things by improving them nowadays though it doesn’t look like there’s any progress. It’s just waste of time.” His fingers idly played, caressed gingerly the already emptied scotch glass as if he was a little boy. The hostess listened attentively, assimilating the self-criticism and pessimism of the young woman as her bile rose up in her throat. What she loathed more than anything was when somebody was playing the crucial role of a prey, embodying its self-pitness, bitter sorrow.

“Never give up, no matter how much do you passionately want anything, Tim! Just don’t give up even if it’s impossible task for ya to redeem yourself for Judy’s sake!” The German woman advised wisely by rubbing idly her head with her fingertips as her words were ribboned in peculiar, doubtless wisdom by attempting to embolden the former Monsignor. She earned his inquisitive, studious look he wore on his young-looking, hardly wrinkled face.

“Elsa’s right, Tim! Never distrust yourself. It’s never too late to redeem yourself in the name of your sins, your rare bird and Elsie.” The owner of the gothic castle took a final drag of her cigarette, seconds before stubbing it out in the ashtray at last.

“ _What comes is better than what_ _came before_ _!_ _Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba_ _!_ _Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba_ _!_ _And you better come_ _,_ _come-come, come to me_ _!_ ”

“Well, ladies! I’m going to leave as I’m about to take a nap and my exhaustion tortures me.” He set free a yawn by clamping with his mammoth, milky hand his mouth as Esther arched an eyebrow when he emphasized the word nap. “Thank you for your counsil and understanding which I really appreciate it though I don’t deserve it at all!”

“You don’t need to thank us! We appreciated the time we spent in listening to your confessions.” The blonde admitted by giggling lightly, girlishly like a schoolgirl after she spent a while by talking to her crush.

In the interval, he got from the high bar stools by walking away from the bar as the both ladies winked at him in scoffing manner as they were alone in the bar, listening to music and drowning themselves in deep, logical discussions.

As Timothy paced in the halls of the first two floors until he went upstairs to the third floor, he stepped beside the room where he shares it with Jude and their daughter by tapping on the door lightly a couple of times, taking a deep breath as his heart vigorously, frequently hammered in his chest as he felt his heart falling into his stomach, due to the impending bias of rejection.

No answer. No reaction was followed of his harmless, faint door taps. Judy and Elsie were deeply slumbering in the wee hours of the afternoon.

One of Timothy’s inner voices cautioned him that there’s nobody inside the room where’s he’s roommates with the blonde and their creation. Whilst a second one rather clarified him there was somebody inside the room without even efforting to open it. As he has musted up with knocking on the doors by signalizing the others to acknowledge his presence, it was his second nature as well and he couldn’t deny it.

He lowered his hand to the doorknob by pressing it. It was locked.

Consequently a few more door raps as they were stronger drew the former nun’s attention as she came to her senses whilst Elsie was asleep yet for their own luck.

“Oh God! Who’s this?” The former sister of the church talked under her breath in low, dissatisfied voice as she rubbed her drowsy eyes with her frail, bony fists by unwrapping the blanket out of her flimsy skeleton by getting of the bed, hopping up in comfy, fuzzy black slippers as she braced herself in a cherry red peignoir without searching for its belt as she didn’t want to tarry by keeping its unknown presence for her outside the room waiting too long. “Just a second!”

In this moment, Timothy couldn’t suppress by scratching unsettledly his head by exhaling muffledly, sharply until feminine, light footsteps approached the door, giving him a hope of being unlocked within seconds as he heard the clinking key rotating in the keyhole until another click was like exploding dynamite. The door opened as the middle-aged lady held it as their eyes met on the doorway.

“I didn’t know you were napping.” He cordially apologized as he placed a hand on his chest by pressing it on his throbbing heart in his ribs, darting his chocolate brown eyes to her honey brown orbs as his were filled with love, sheer warmness and unarguable viridity.

“It’s okay. You can come.” The sudden change in her demeanor left him beyond not only dumbfound, but also exceedingly astounded and bewildered, due to the fact, in the wee hours of the morning she behaved as if he was her worst rival and now what? Her demeanor was much different as if it was a different person, different woman standing in front of Timothy, himself. Or perhaps the same person with two faces, or rather versatile and wise, who figured out what her impulsive ire resulted to?

“Oh!” The former member of the church stepped up inside without an ado as Judy shut the door by closing it after him. “I didn’t expect you to change your behavior in matter of hours, Judy!” He carried on as he couldn’t repress his transfixed warm chocolate brown eyes on the young girl, who was peacefully sleeping as she barely snored. The faint, deep breaths inflated her chest. Her waterfall of chestnut tresses were spilled, ruffled on the pillow. A beaming, merry smile curled up in the corner of his lips as it acquired a crescent form.

“I’m so sorry for being so impulsive and overreacting earlier today.” She was right behind him as she threw her arms around his neck, whilst her fingers worked idly, seductively on his shirt’s buttoned collar by whispering sensually, honeyedly in his ear as Jude was telling him the deepest, most paradoxal secret of her own life or rather sharing with him her dirtiest avowals especially with the man of her dreams. The love of her life. “I was so fed up with being a heartbroken and wretched woman as you were the last hope when it comes up to love, romance,” The middle-aged blonde mellowly paused as his heart leaped at her vivid words and apology. He couldn’t be more grateful even better relieved and euphoric as he plucked up courage to confront her anger, being advised by Elsa and Esther and now facing Jude’s softer side. Even the touch of her fingers by playing, tipping his shirt collar send electroshocking sensations through his body of sweetness, a tad embarrassment and pleasure. How long it has been when a woman has touched him even sexually pleasuring him especially the love of his life?  “And sex!” A silent, husky chuckle escaped her naturally rosy-coloured, plumpish lips as she admired his natural, ethereal handsomeness he possessed at first sight and might allure numerous of ladies but only one can possess actually his soul, mind and body. It was his only right hand, rara avis. Judy. His alluring cologne flared the former holy woman’s sensitive, vulnerable nostrils.

“It’s okay. I’m the one who owes you a lot of apologizes for what I did to you.” He fessed mellowly by turning her as he hugged her tightly, warmly as she snuggled her face into his toned, soft chest beneath his shirt’s fabric as her arms were snaked around his broad, muscled shoulders. His chin rested on her head with its ringlet of bushy, glossy golden curls.

“We will be fine. I’d like to listen to ya and what news do ya want to deliver me, regardless how awfully worrisome they are. I promise I’ll be calmer even if they are worst or the best.” The older woman promised docilely without raising her voice as her heart melted, relishing its moment of being embraced and loved by the former Monsignor.

“I’ll be as honest as my guilty conscience aches.” Then the both adults couldn’t help, nonetheless, giggle after they broke off the hug as Timothy’s strong arm was clasped around her shoulder as she ushered him to go in the kitchen by having a serious, long discussion as it was high time for confessions and revelations at last so that to find a solution to their toxic relationship as its rusty, old chains verged to break by separating them as a bond though its efforts. “I truly mean it.”

“Your guilty conscience is probably pain in yar ass after the shit happened.” He opened the kitchen door by letting Jude set a foot inside the room as he stepped aside by giving her more space to walk up to the kitchen table, seating.

“Absolutely! But it’s high time to work on my guilty conscience by cleaning the mess.” He closed the kitchen door gingerly as the younger man didn’t want to wake up their slumbering daughter as the both former clerical members of the clergy cackled lightly, coyly.


	5. Atonement II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dynamic roller coaster of Jude and Timothy's way to atonement.

 

"Especially for ya!" Jude pragmatically exclaimed as she played gamely, idly with her fingers on the kitchen table, winking mischievously at the former man of the cloth as his heart raced when she winked at him. "We have a lot of work to do, Timothy!"

"Of course! But first of all, do you want something to drink or else?" The younger man enquired enthusiastically as he wanted to work on his toxic relationship with his right hand by being diplomatic instead of holding grudges, being under the pressure of heating debates and aggravate their relationship which requires more work and diplomacy.

"I'd like some whiskey." She replied plainly as Timothy zinged to the refrigerator by gathering an ordinary bottle of whiskey by closing its refrigerator door and getting from the upper kitchen cabinet a scotch glass, consequently pouring whiskey in her glass until it peaked to the middle of the glass. Afterwards he took one more scotch glass for himself by pouring the same quantity liquor of the sinful, luscious, scrumptious alcoholic beverage, thereafter leaving its bottle on the counterplot by handing the first glass of whiskey to Jude. "Thank you!" The singer said in velvety, serene voice by raising her scotch glass, whereas the former man of the cloth seated against her as her composed, cheerful smile bloomed on her rosy-coloured, plump lips. "Let's raise a toast for taking the first step to clemency!" The both adults raised scotch glasses, seconds before glass colliding glass as it sources clinking sound by looking up into one another's beaming, brutally honest orbs. "Cheers!" They yelled solemnly as their scotch glasses clinked as glass contacted glass temporarily until they sipped their sweet whiskeys which burned the caverns of their mouth and organs.

"This whiskey is a paradise." The former priest fessed as he left the scotch glass on the table as they licked greedily, agreeably their lips as his chocolate brown orbs shifted unintentionally to the bloody red silken slip which she wore under her unbelted peignoir as he swallowed hard once he spotted the sinful garment she had on herself. The red slip was an obvious distraction for his pristine, childishly warm and coy chocolate brown eyes. He recalled the explicit, graphic memories of Jude's fantasy of wearing the piece of lingerie just for him only and drowning in his velvet, soft, virginal caresses of his hands on her silken, milky body. Muffled, soft moans escaping their lips. And one more explicit graphic memory which was more sorely painful and mortifying than pleasant. The young possessed nun wearing Jude's favorite satin red slip by violating him as its slip was an indeed curse.

"Is that what she wore specially for me when we were members of the church?" An inner voice of his echoed in his frozen mind by gawking her slip especially by the way its top hugged her bosom.

"Hey, Tim! Where are you staring at?" The blonde snapped him out of his train of thoughts by catching him to gaze at her red nighttie as it outlined exquisitely, insatiably her curves of her waist and hips.

"Oh! I didn't know the sisters wore such piece of garments." The former Monsignor jeered at her by attempting to not offend her by eyeing bashfully his scotch glass as he sipped a second sip of the whiskey.

"When the priests drank alcohol? Especially whiskeys?" Judy said in teasing manner by arching an elegant eyebrow as she chewed her bottom lip unsettled as a smug, vile smirk danced upon her fresh, pale complexion.

"I just had my first alcoholic beverage when Esther welcomed me in the purgatory. It was cognac." A light, shy giggle emitted from his throat by tipping with his fingers by caressing his scotch glass with liquor. "It tasted undeniably amazing."

"Mmmm! It looks like somebody jazzed ya in the alcohol." The former sister of the Roman Catholic church couldn't repress a punchline as the both adults burst out guffawing as their bellies hurt though they kept their decibels as sufficienty loud as whispers in the kitchen without ruining the beauty coma of Elsie, who yet slumbered on the king-sized bed, wrapped up warmly.

"I'm not actually an alcoholic or addicted. I just had 2 drinks in the last 48 hours."

"By counting this glass of whiskey?" The middle-aged woman winked at him by thrumming melodically as it melted the younger man's heart when she heard her silver-tongued thrumming.

"It makes exactly 3." In the interval as she crossed her legs, one of her feet kicked playfully, lightly his ankle by giggling girlishly, demurely like a schoolgirl in love as he peeped down under the kitchen table as his face flushed. "Have you ever had any problems with the alcohol?"

"I used to have but not anymore."

"Oh!" The former holy man cried out as they sipped another sip of their glasses of whiskey. Little did he know what's her history of her recovering alcoholism was and why she combated it to the end. "If you don't feel comfortable to share your story with me, I'll be okay."

"Well, I fought with boozing when I was perhaps younger as I used it as a medicament by muting the heartbreaks and grimness of my past. It helped to have hazy memories as I couldn't even remember how many beds I have passed with one-night stand lovers. I was just a broken, confused, impulsive and selfish woman, dependant of the alcohol and the sexual pleasure which the one-night stand lovers delivered me." The middle-aged lady commenced with her heartaching, gloomy monologue behind her story of her alcoholism as she slightly lowered her head, due to the fact, she wasn't proud of herself as a younger woman which oozed of delirious grace, immense impulse and irrationality, voracious lust. In this moment, Timothy listen her monologue attentively by assimilating each word of hers, without uttering anything in order to disrespect her.

"I'm truly sorry to hear that. What made you to be addicted to the alcohol as a sin? Let's not forget to mention a broken, confused, impulsive and selfish woman as you called yourself." What the blonde abhorred the most was the feeling of being pitied and considered as a prey of her demons which haunted her yet.

"I was foolishly in love with one fellah when I was 17. I thought he was a decent and understanding man. A man who didn't think I was some kind of human waste. His name was Casey. Yeah! I wasn't a good student at all and I spent more time with him rather than to focus on my textbooks!" In the meanwhile, she swigged a couple of sips her whiskey until scarcely a few inches liquor flooded the scotch glass. "A handful of years later after our relationship escalated even to marriage and we quickly liked one another even more than as friends, he proposed me and I slept with him weeks before our wedding. And," She paused as she lowered her voice, holding her temple with one of her creamy, petite hands as her brittle eyelids were pooled with dew. Bitter, somber tears betrayed to gush down her cheeks at the thought of her ex-boyfriend who not only ruined her life, but also took away the fragment of her life which she has always hankered for. Literally having her own children by teaching and love them. "A day before our wedding, not only he hurt me with his infedility, besides he didn't seem happy with me at all, moreover he infected me with syphilis, taking away the baby I should have been graced back then." Waterfall of tears sprung up in her eyelids by tumbling down her milky, porcelain cheeks as she responded in tearful voice by furthering her monologue, blinking. In the meanwhile, Timothy reached up for one of her free hands by taking it into his larger, smooth as its thumb kneaded the back of her hand gently, featherly.

"Shu, shu, shu, Judy! It's alright. You're lucky this bastard is no longer with you, because he isn't worth at all. He doesn't even deserve such a spectacular woman like you." The former Cardinal tried to reassure Jude by shushing to her in honeyed voice as his British accent accentuated on his utterance. Furthermore, he finally understood why she was actually a recovering alcoholic and fought with her unhallowed addiction for ages as it resembled centuries. Even more Timothy put himself in her shoes by imagining this entire dilemma and dismal experience by being heartbroken and having bad luck with the reprensatitves of the opposite sex in romantic relationships, hence, finding a consolation in boozing insane quantity of alcohol by numbing its endless sorrow, pain and heartbreaks and getting laid with strangers. "Let's not even forget I'm very grateful you graced both of us with a beautiful little girl though I don't deserve to be a father since I took her away from you and I looked after her. Also I didn't give you the opportunity to be a mother by getting you out of the hellhole as I resign from the church by being a family together. I was such a blinded and selfish fool, who's full of shit!"

Silence dispersed its rainbow arch in the kitchen as the both adults sipped their searing alcoholic beverages by cherishing one of the rare moments they shared along. Sitting on a table by sharing a drink and drowning themselves in long, logical and wise discussions as they speak their minds for themselves and for each other's sake.

"At least, ya had the chance to be a father of Elsie. I don't know what kind of a father were you even if you were a Cardinal of New York."

"During my leisure time and whenever I wasn't with the mass, I was spoiling Elsie with toys, chocolate cupcakes which are her favorite desserts as well and taking her on the playgrounds by befriending with other children, who were around her age." The father of the love child began explaining to Jude how he used to live with Elsie even when his exalted reputation of Cardinal of New York encumbered him with daily hectic agenda and having no time for friends, lovers and family with exception of his urgently substantial career. She quietly sniffled as she wiped with a thumb her rolling, crystal tears. "She was a child miracle. One of a kind though she had her own babysitter when I was with the mass in the church."

"Ya weren't actually a horrible father at all, how I think. But ya were an awfully selfish, egomaniacal and stubborn man of the cloth who didn't even deserve this shitty, divine title as I was the main reason why you became a Cardinal with the effortal hardwork we invested in for years." The former holy woman retorted by arching eyebrow reluctantly as her sniffles and sobs subdued in the vacuum.   


"You barely understand what I did this to child and how we died in the name of our unwed, small family to be together for eternity." He sighed a sigh of relief after her honeyed words which heated his heart in igniting blaze, keeping its flare lit his ego up. What the former member of the clergy expected was not only the ill-disposed disappointment, further ginormous odium, oozing of her and diminishing the chances of accomplishing a mutual atonement.

“What you did to our little, sweet ray of sunshine?”

“After Lana exposed Briarcliff and its atrocities, hence, I had 2 opportunities though my reputation was already damaged and it wasn’t worth to be a Cardinal. The first one was to accept the consequences of my stupidity and deeds or otherwise die. In short, commit suicide.” Timothy swigged the rest of the liquor in his glass until he emptied it in a matter of seconds by pausing, a split second before keeping on with his monologue. “I killed Elsie with a razor just before to slit my wrists in the bath. I wanted to save her from the trouble and giving piece of evidence to the police though I didn’t know what was your destiny. At least, if she was still alive in the mortal world, she would have either one parent or be an orphan.”

Jude didn’t know how to feel or how to react. She was peculiarly nonplussed due to the former man of the cloth’s words. On one hand, she thought it was the better, wiser decision for the committed suicide decision since their reunion in their afterlife though it exposed his weaker side of his personality of unable to embrace with open arms the consequences as a heinous priest with mutilated reputation. On other hand, she was livid inside, incapable of tolerating him, in fact, he murdered their own daughter and didn’t let her live her own life even as an orphan or with a single parent at least.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m just so perplexed. I understand ya why ya killed her but I’m wondering why didn’t ya keep her alive even to live with the reputation of love child in the orphanages and her school.”

“Jude, I wanted to save her from the authorities’ paws. I don’t want her misery and to live an orphanage with the other kids, who share the same fate as hers even to double suffer.”

“Why the love hurts so much for goddamn sake?” In the interim, the blonde slammed her scotch glass of whiskey on the kitchen table by gulping it in a single sip, thereafter getting from the table and fleeing the kitchen though Timothy’s mightlessness to stop her.

“Jude, please!”

After the former nun slammed the kitchen’s door with her entire physical strength, it woke up Elsie as she came to her senses as its slam rang in her sensitive, elvish ears.

“Elsie, is it true yar father murdered ya with his own hands and razor?” The middle-aged mother questioned her daughter who was currently rubbing with her fists her drowsy eyes, consequently yawning merely.

“It’s true. His last words were he loves me and he wanted to save me from the misery of the world and the authorities.” It horrified even more the singer as her hazelish-brown eyes widened suddenly, whilst Timothy entered in the bedroom as he earned his right hand’s malicious glare with formidable contempt as if he was exactly trapped in a vicious circle. She utterly paid attention to her daughter’s words.

“Jude! Elsie!” The younger man burst out by glimpsing the both females as his transfixed chocolate brown eyes with great concern were on Jude’s ruddy of vexation face, highlighting her contracted eyelids, furrowed eyebrows and pouted lips, gritted firm, ivory teeth as their grotesquely, metaphorically constrasted her demeanor a couple of minutes ago when she was still beaming with her smile, tears unlike now when her dudgeon was the protagonist, dwelling in her heart.

“Screw you, Timothy! Your daughter said it too. Ya fricking murdered her.” Meanwhile the young girl clogged with her palms her ears when her parents’ argue took its place in the same room where she was by unwrapping the blanket, sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed and contemplating the bedroom’s bathroom door by ignoring the adults’ scene which disturbed her as well.

“I wanted to save her from them. Didn’t you hear me, did you?” He yelled by attempting to keep his voice’s decibels moderately.

In this moment, the little brunette zinged up to the door by escaping her parents’ room as she was met with Esther and Mary Eunice, who captured her in a tight, warm, affable hug.

“Awww, Elsie! It looks like you’re scared from your parents’ yelling.” Esther exclaimed in mocking manner by planting a kiss on the little girl’s cheek between the embrace.

“They just have a hard time. They will be fine.” Elsie explained simply by snuggling in the both young adults’ hug.

The increased decibels of the both adults in the room jingled worrisome, horrid tunes in the both young women’s ears as if it resembled a couple who have love-hate relationship bewailing at one another for the pettiest things which isn’t under one of the partners’ control.

“I see.” Esther took a deep breath after they broke off the hug altogether by taking their time for a while to admire one another’s facial features. “Come on, little cupcake! I will tour you up around the gothic chateau.”

“Yayy!” The young girl squaled ecstatically as she held the hostess’s hand as they walked away from the former young nun who was beyond worried for her favorite former tutors as she bit her bottom plumpish, berry-coloured lip in anticipation of their heated debate to halt sooner or later.

“Frank!” The young blonde scurried in the long, dim lit hallway of the gothic castle to find the former cop by descending the stairway for the second floor.

“Look what, Timothy Howard!” The middle-aged singer pawed his shoulders by squeezing them as she pushed him aggressively against the wall as she clunched her teeth as she wore a grimaced face. In the meantime, Timothy felt impotent to stop her as it was her right to pour her entire anger on the person, who not only betrayed and took everything away from her, but also murdered their love child and committed suicide afterwards. Their faces even lips were scarcely inches distancing them. “I don’t know if I want to fucking kill ya and watch ya suffer for this shit or,” She briskly pressed her lips on his as she watched him how his eyelids instantly shut like blinds as her honey brown eyes darkened, alooking like a demon scrutinizing his recent victim of the sin as she moved up one of her hands to his head, runnig her fingers through his chestnut hair. The former holy man felt succumbed by her succulent, lustful, violent kiss. “Making love to ya with burning passion!” She resumed her exclaimation by lowering her voice between the kiss until her other hand drifted down to his bulge by outlining it with an index finger, indicating its size as her fingers teased his crotch his trousers as muffled, mellow moans and groans escaped his lips. Her eyes even darkened, glinted diabolic lust, desire and conflicting emotions between love and hate as a fiendish, enchanting flare, exposing its genuine nuances. A smug, predatorical sadistic grin cracked on her complexion.

“Oh fuck! This is damn good but,” His incessant, pleasing groans and moans swam in the room as she squeezed harder his already hard manhood as their kisses grew ferocious as their wet tongues commenced dueling against each other like warriors.

“But what?” Sensual whisper emitted from the top of his lungs as one of his arms was snaked around her waist, whilst the other hand cupped her cheek, whereas after she teased his crotch, she was about to unzip his trousers until his hand which held her slim waist faintly swatted her petite one as her fingers clumsily, hardly reached the zip.

“Jude, I don’t want to violate or use you.” By the way she caressed even teased his tight crotch, he can still feel her fingers doing wonders to his body as electroshocking climax hit him and he craved to make love to her though sooner or later somebody might enter in their room without their consent and hence, catch them in an intimate act by embarrassing them.

“W-what do you mean with this?” They broke off the kiss as the older lady stuttered in sultry voice as they withdrew their faces as they admired one another’s enthralling facial features.

“I did enough atrocious things as I messed your life. I hate to see you hurted.”

“It’s up to you whatever ya want, Tim! I can’t force ya.”

“I want it, of course! Despite it’s your decision either.”

“Well, we will see!” The former sister of the church headed towards the door by leaving their room as she slammed the door, leaving dumbfound and pleased and sufficiently sexually satisified the former Monsignor as his back reclined on the wall.

“Jude!” The younger man muttered out as his lips motioned in the hushing room until a couple of door taps gave him hope it might be his rare bird or not exactly.

“Timothy!” Masculine, sympathetic voice called from the corridor as it was the former police officer, Frank, himself. “May I come?”  He continued by trying to be as polite as possible, sheepishly exhaling.

“Of course, Frank!”

“Hey Tim! I know from the former little sister there was turmoil there.”

“Ah, Frank! We’re fine. Jude has got the right to be angry at me for what I did to her. I even fessed some of the things which she has never heard of.” In the interval, the security guard took a seat on the edge of the bed as their eyes met, locking up his gaze.

“I understand. Sooner or later, she will be fine how I think.”

“For sure she will be. I’m the core of the mess I did to her.” The former priest said in low, ashamed voice though some ounce off his shoulders was diminished after the far-reaching revelations by mildly bowing his head.

“Do not blame yarself, buddy! I’m completely sure there’s going to be forgiveness. Ya need to be patient because you know already by what kind of a mess she has been through and she doesn’t want to repeat it all over again.” The middle-aged man attempted to alleviate Timothy by giving him piece of advice through their journey in the purgatory, in the name of their expiation.

“You mean her mistakes?”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Tim. Fellah, you must relax for a while. Come to have a drink or spend some time with Elsie as she’s with Esther. She’s safe with the hotess.”

“Oh! I’m relieved. Before having a drink or something else, I’m planning to have a shower.” All of a sudden, the security guard got from the bed by approaching the former holy man by patting faintly, kindly his shoulder, encouraging him.

“Take your time! You don’t have to rush and regret later for your impulse just like Judy in her past.” Frank advised slyly by winking at Timothy amiably without reluctance, heading towards the room, seconds before walking away. “Be gentle with her!”

“I’m gentle with her, of course! Thank you for the council, Frank!” In this moment, the former cop fled the room by closing the door as Timothy felt better after being receiving piece of advice by Jude’s favorite former employee, who wasn’t very fond of her former boss at all.

Shortly after the middle-aged widower walked away as the juvenile former man of the cloth was all alone with his own thoughts and prejudices, trapped in the desolated hush, subsequently he gathered his bath towel by entering in the bathroom to take a fresh, hot, streaming shower.

Throughout he shut the bathroom door by locking himself, in case, if somebody sneacks roguely in his room and accidentally without warning by witnessing the awkward nakedness of the former holy man.

He kicked off his shoes and stripped each garment of his which hugged his toned, still appealing body as they peeled his flesh in motion, feeling the ultimate freedom of being naked by hanging them along with his boxers on the hooks He glanced at his own reflexion in the crystal, square mirror that hung over the sink, scrutinizing his yet youthful, unimpeachably handsome face, oozing with juvenileness and lack of wrinkles were naturally inked, indicating his real age. It delighted him. He hasn’t even aged after opulent sleepless nights, a lot of efforts and hardwork on his divine, blinding Vatican dream.

Consequently he stepped under the shower by turning the water tap by adjusting its warmness as its warmer temperature dominated, the jet water contacting his stark body by soaking his flesh even his dark chestnut hair.

One of his hands shifted up to his hair, running idly through his hair, whereas his other hand lowered to his hard manhood as he gripped it by giving himself a handjob. His face mildly flushed as he hasn’t masturbated though Jude and the possessed Mary Eunice were the sole females who have pleasured him especially Jude, whereas the possessed former young nun rather raped him. He tightly shut his eyes like closed windows by permitting his rich fantasies whirl like a whirlpool in his mind, full of impure thoughts, resurfacing like icebergs. Timothy commenced to tease himself by jerking slowly, sufficiently potent in the beginning, letting his imagination work out on the foul, celestial fantasies conveying him to ultimate, everlasting pleasure and climax which he hasn’t peaked unless if it’s Jude, herself. Muffled, voluptuous moans and groans were set free from the top of his lungs as he was releasing some tension. His lips motioning like piano keys the unholy, sinful groans and moans as they were the sole sourcing sound with the stream shower water that soaked every inch of his figure.

What he was actually fantasizing for? That wasn't a question. The answers were readily delivered as his long, dexterous fingers worked on his hard rock member, jerking it.

Explicit, graphic images emerged in his reverie as he hankered to be real. If he was actually yet pious member of the church, otherwise he wouldn't be supposed to daydream about such unhallowed fantasies by menacing his saintly career and reputation which used to be his priority back in his mortal life until he arrived in the purgatory and hyperbolically his worldview changed as his crucial priorities to redeem himself in Jude, Mary Eunice and Elsie's names, besides his soul is being saved by the love of his life. The first woman on whom he had laid eyes since their first encounter which was exactly ages ago and he has chosen her as his own right hand, due to her potent, persistent and versatile character who's capable of running an institution with an iron fist and handing the clumsiest patients who have ever being housed in the mental hospital.

What his reverie conveyed him was a dream world or rather in an explicit movie as the protagonists are only two. They were Timothy, himself and Judy. The roller coaster of his film dynamically mounted its  spiral in retrospective motion. From the vivid, sultry pictures of Jude giving him a handjob as she teased his member with her genial, agile and experienced fingers squeezed by jerking him as his inescapable moans and groans boated in the thin air, hearing his roar. Roar of the tiger in charge. As he ran delicately his mammoth, warm hand all over his muscular torso, picturing his once favorite former nun's hand as her fingers tipped up and down his toned chest and abs as he swallowed hard.

All he has a yen for was to make love to her and tell her how beautiful she’s lastly.

His rugged pride lit up as it loomed on the nigh horizon.

The brisk, nevertheless steamy moment he shared with Jude during their heated debate as she trapped him against the wall not only emanated the zestful boiling blood in his veins, moreover the former clerical member of the clergy has already envisaged in his train of impure thoughts how his length has already filled her core after she has teased him not only with fingers, even more with her damp, luscious tongue the tip of his cock on circles and peppering  feather and loving ardent kisses which took it as a given to his climax and spilling his seed in her mouth by savoring his cum, his thrusts were slow and painful until they increased to quicker, diminishing its pain and tantalizing one another's minds and bodies.  Even cupping her round, full breast and playing, besides circling with a tongue her erected nipples and nibbling them as her passionate cries' decibels were megawatt louder than savage,predacious beasts' bewails. His hands tracing all over her body especially her boson and abdomen delicately, featherly by admiring its softness, mossiness of her milky flesh.

Shortly after teasing himself, he reached his climax within a few minutes of fantasizing of the first woman he has ever laid eyes on.

“Oh fucking, sweet Jesus!” A lethal groan heaved from the top of his frail lungs as he reluctantly spilled his semen, staining the bath tiles flooring by an accident. The pleasure was indisputably, eminently overwhelming for him until he partly opened his eyes by blinking as his vision appeared blurry, whereas the jet shower water still splashed its waterfall onto him perpetually.

In the meanwhile, his hands reached for the water taps until its jet subdued as its last drop streamed down from the shower head, splashing the marinated in water bath tiled flooring. His mouth was agape for a while as a tad panting motioned. Afterwards he peeped down at the tiled flooring, noting something sticky even in light color as its reeked of his seed, revolting:

“Oh shit! It has been so damn good so that the floor is messed up.”

Hence, the former member of the church teared some toilet paper by crouching down to the stained spot by mopping it in swift, ginger motion until it vanished. Leaving it flawlessly clean with no stains. Thereafter he wrapped the bath towel around his pelvis by balling it tightly as he was leaving the bathroom with the hung garments and boxers.

All of a sudden, he unintentionally clicked with a single finger by blinking as the garments and underpants he used were as immaculately clean as he has never worn them ever before. Glistening neatness.

What it mesmerized him was by the way his finger clicked in an instant, single motion. Little did he know what a supernatural spell he possessed in such barren place like this.

Thereafter he dressed up himself in the same garments by shoeing his feet in Oxford black shoes.

“Hey, Jonas! Look at this cutie! Isn’t that diva that sung and had an accident the last night?”  One of the predatoric men who was strolling in the hallway with his friend Jonas didn’t avert their eyes from the middle-aged singer, whose figure was clothed in slip and peignoir which was oblivious to her or rather she didn’t care at all.

“Yeah, Nathan! Look at her. She looks damn good in this,” The blonde’s hazelish brown eyes which glinted peculiar apprehension, murderous dubiety even if in the periphery of her vision noted them by pursing her plumpish, firecracker rosy-coloured lips demurely, bashfully as she paced in the hall of the gothic chateau. The both men darted their orbs, fulfilled with delirious lust and heinous desire to the slightly older lady as they whistled mischievously as her heart raced. “Red slip!”

“She’s probably one of the Howard’s whores. I mean Timothy Howard’s who lifted her, whilst this German emigrant was asking questions instead of helping her.” The second man talked under his breath by winking at the former sister of the church.

“You are definitely right, fellah! By judging her lifestyle and in general, we can say Howard is her sugar daddy.” The middle-aged men couldn’t repress husky, wicked chuckles though Jude noted something specific about them. They seemed much different than Timothy or on the contrary, she was their Achilles’ Heel, due to her physical grace only. All they had a yen for was to get laid with her, regardless with or without her consent.

“No wonder he’s after her!” Suddenly the former woman of the cloth froze as she felt paralyzed, unable to move any single muscle of her body as the both men were more than ready to assault her with bloodthirsty kisses and nibbles on the silken skin of her neck and boson, sadistically thrust harder in her core.

What the singer detested more than anything was to being paralyzed and her brain to freeze, incapable of functioning moderately by thinking of a rational decision which might save her life or be safe and sound at least. It beared a semblance to a plague epidemy which corrupts every cell and muscle of her body, no matter how tough is her physical and mental stamina. Nonetheless, she felt physically weak against two burly men, who trapped her even with a mere stare.

Fortunately, for their own luck, the hallway was empty as the 3 adults were the sole ones who set a foot on it for this moment. Jonas and Nathan were beyond lucky nobody was around to disturb their daredevil game they have plotted.

“Excuse me, ma’am! Aren’t ya this singer, who had an accident the night before?” Jonas posed the question by attempting to be as polite as possible to win the stranger lady’s benevolence and attention.

“Excuse me! You were part of the audience the last night just before the accident, right?” Jude asked them with her Boston accent as she looked up into their piercing, ferocious light orbs as if they were fancing her even with an ordinary eye contact.

Jonas was actually man in the beginning of his 30s with short chestnut hair just like Timothy’s with piercing, flirtatious green irises. His nails were polished with colorless nail polish by highlighting his neat looks and he had a golden tooth which incarnated his Bohemian, rich lifestyle as a man almost in his midlife stage. He was almost 2 meters tall by wearing grayish and turquoise costumes with ties. His skin tone was fair. At last but not least, his body built was floppy, due to his lack of exercise.

Whilst his friend, Nathan was approximately his age with dirty blonde hair, neck length. He possessed actually olive-tanned skin color, followed by light chestnut eyes, matching ideally with his dirty blonde haircut. In addition to his well-groomed looks, he wore suits and ties in white and emerald green.

“How do you think, ma’am?” Jonas winked at her as his Virginian accent accentuated on his posed question as a smug, vile grin danced on his lips. “You were spectacular, not gonna lie! I was in the audience with my buddy by touching you.” He fessed shamelessly as he was slowly but surely approaching the older lady, trapping her against the corridor’s wall, while Nathan glimpsed in the both corners of the hall, in case if they incidentally bump into somebody and they are got in trouble, subsequently their goose is cooked.

“You touched,” As she was struggling to proceed with her speech, all of a sudden Jonas pawed her shoulders without releasing her from his grip as she was mightless to stop the both men, whose plotted daredevil game began with success and scoring one point against her. “Jesus Christ! No!” She shrieked as Jonas pressed violently his lips on hers though the former devotional member of the church opted to evade his lips touch in disgust as their faces were barely inches from one another. His darkened green irises in the sight of abhorred and defenseless prey they have just captured. In the meanwhile, Nathan grabbed Jude’s wrists by cuffing them in his grasp, without releasing them as his fingertips greased with its soft contact her creamy, pale knuckles. “Somebody help me!”

“Don’t hurry up so much, beautiful!” In the meantime, the both men licked her both cheeks as her cheeks were greased in clammy salivas, in spite of her desperate cries for call to arms to be rescued. “There’s no Prince Charming or sugar daddy to save your skin from us.” Nathan whispered in sultry, velvet voice against her ear.

“Timothy! Esther! Elsa! Frank! Mary Eunice! Somebody help me!” The blonde cried out loud as her bewail not only floated on the second floor, moreover it diffused on the third floor as it was sufficiently audible for Timothy, himself.

“Jude? Rara avis! Where are you?” He zinged downstairs within seconds in order to find the feminine wails which emanated from the second floor.

“Stop whining, baby girl! The sugar daddy’s baby girls are the best lovers if you didn’t know that.” The chestnut-haired gentleman evoked by imitating the singer’s desperate voice as she spat into their faces.

“Fuck you! Find somebody else to mess with but I’m not going to be your toy for tonight.”

“You fucking twat! How dare ya to spit on my face? Is it normal one sweet, spectacular lady like ya to,”  In the interim, the former man of the cloth stealthily, discreetly snuck up behind the both men by snaking his mammoth, protective hands around his neck as Jude noticed 2 perfectly recognizable hands verging to suffocate one of the predatories.

“T-Timothy?” The former pious holy woman mumbled timidly as her lips almost didn’t motion as she was confound, in fact, she expected the worst to happen in this moment as it was oblivious for Nathan there was another man especially the former holy man right in front of his ally.

“Oh fuck!” Jonas whined in pain though his hands were on top of his intruder, incapable of yanking them from his neck. Timothy dragged by pulling as he grasped with his fingers his recent victim as he chocked him until Jonas’s head impacted on the wall, collapsing on the floor as his back as he laid on his stomach. Even more Timothy gritted his teeth by casting a glare at the other chestnut-haired gentleman, who was an abettor for Jude’s sexual assault.

“Timothy!”

“Don’t you ever dare to touch this innocent, impotent lady! Am I clear, Mister?” The former priest stomped one of the predatories’ head with his oxford’s sole by pressing it until he gripped by Nathan’s shirt collar, pulling him towards him as he unwillingly released Jude’s hands as she had her own chance to participate and defend Timothy in the name of her love for him even if it was a conflicting, damned feeling she had still for him.

“Fuck!” The dirty blonde-haired Virginian whimpered in pain when Jude grabbed him by his hair as he craned his neck as he was trapped in his foes’ vicious cycle. He opted to punch the British, although his successful eluding cunningly.

“Rare bird, that wasn’t necessary at all!”

“Timothy, you need a team player. I don’t want this bastard to hurt you.” Her concern for Timothy’s welfare significantly affected him as it spoke volumes to him at last.

“I don’t need to!” In this moment, the former Monsignor pushed the other man against the wall as he collided, flumping on the floor helplessly as he losed not only balance, moreover consciousness. “Judy, are you alright? Let’s get out of there in a jiffy.” He carried on by inquiring his love interest as they ran away from Nathan and Jonas who were senseless for now until their muscles resurrect.

“Oh, Tim! I couldn’t be more ashamed.”

“What they did to you these bastards?” They towered the stairway for the third floor as they zinged up to their room.

“I was just walking in the hallway until they asked me something that has to do with the last night show and they trapped me against the wall as I tried to avoid one of the men’s lips, while they licked my both cheeks as the other one held my wrists, incapable to punch or slap either of them. I spat on their faces as they cursed, of course! I cried out loud somebody to come and help me.” The middle-aged mother sighed a jaded sigh of relief, due to the fact she was being rescued in the least predictable moment even if her whine was as loud as a whisper in the desert.

“Oh! I’m so sorry to hear this. These bastards deserved a punishment for trying to mess with you.”

“Don’t be sorry! I hate to be pitied!” A hoarse, wry chuckle escaped her rosy-coloured, naturally glossy lips by rolling her eyes dramatically until they reached their room’s door as the former Cardinal opened it specially for his right hand, stepping aside to let her first enter as he closed and shut the door behind him, whereas Jude grabbed a bath towel and rushed up to the bathroom to take a shower since she felt foul and mortified, factly, the befall inordinately affected her.

 

A handful of hours have passed since the accident on the second floor of the gothic chateau’s hall. Jude took a hot, relaxing shower after the happened to sponge every inch of her body where the loathsome, noisome claws of the both predators have touched or at least contacted her mossy, silky flesh. Thereafter she was listening to some music via the kitchen’s radio and drinking some fresh, hot green tea to soothe her nerves and healing her vitality, whereas Timothy and Elsie were dancing in the kitchen on the vintage songs that played on the radio, regardless if they are pop, romance or even rock ones. The family atmosphere accrued in the kitchen, as a result of gathering the entire, howsoever, compact family altogether.

“ _So long boy you can take my place, got my papers I've got my pay_ _!_ _So pack my bags and I'll be on my way to yellow river_ _!_ _Put my guns down the war is won_ _!_ _Fill my glass high the time has come_ _!_ ” Christie’s song Yellow River was playing on the radio, whereas the whirlpool of 2 jubilantly, convivial dancing figures whirled as they took steps backward and forward, following the music’s rhythm.

“So now honey, 1, 2, 3!” Timothy said softly as he instructed his love child how to dance though she ideally followed her father’s steps, in spite of it was his first time dancing ever and the music’s rhythm gave him a hint how to dance and to enjoy the song in whatever way he desires. Beaming smiles of sunshines were looming on Elsie and Timothy’s faces as they didn’t take their eyes of each other. In the interval, the young man held one of his daughter’s elvish, smooth hands as she was whirling like a natural disaster on the dancefloor. The blonde watched them with immense enthusiasm, oozing from her fixed honey brown eyes on her daughter and love interest with a radiant, charming smile, honed up in the corner of her lips.

“Aren’t we amazing, Mommy?” The little girl enquired her mother blissfully.

“Of course, my little princess! You dance wonderful with your father. He’s an excellent teacher.”

“ _I'm going back to the place that I love yellow river_ _!_ _Yellow river, yellow river is in my mind and in my eyes_ _!_ _Yellow river, yellow river is in my blood, it's the place I love_ _!_ _Got no time for explanations, got no time to lose_ _!_ ” Christie’s guitars yet played in the background as they interweaved the vocalist’s eloquent, mellifluous voice strings.

“Have you ever danced, Daddy?”

“Not really!” Timothy admitted through a light, humble giggle as he spun Elsie, hence, clasping an arm circa her shoulders to poise her. “I have never danced in my life, to be honest.” He bluntly kept on as they both giggled as one. In the interim, the former sister of the Roman Catholic church sipped her tea without averting her gaze in awe of them.

“Huh?” Elsie questioned quizzically as she was mesmerized by her father’s dancing skills even if his lack of experience wasn’t apparent at all.

“At least, the music’s rhythm is important to get you in the jazz. I mean, relax and just have fun!”

“ _Tomorrow night you'll find me_ _!_ _Sleeping underneath the moon at yellow river_ _!_ _Cannon fire lingers in my mind, I'm so glad that I'm still alive_ _a_ _nd I've been gone for such a long time from yellow river_ _!_ _I remember the nights were cool I can still see the water pool_ _a_ _nd I remember the girl that I knew from yellow river_ _!_ ”

“Hey, Tim! May I dance with ya?” The singer asked merrily as she got from the kitchen table, whereas Timothy spun for final time the young brunette until she whirled like a whirlpool in the kitchen as he offered his hand as the former nun accepted it by taking his larger, secure one into her, perfectly fitting.

“Of course, my rara avis! C’mere!” The former Monsignor spun for first time the blonde as she grasped his hand without releasing it from her grip, cackling joyously as her laughter mingled with the guitars and the vocalist’s silver-tongued singing voice.

“Mommy and Daddy!” Elsie jumped in jittery manner by clapping her hands, applauding them as if she was their sole fan of their show as a content, childish grin was imprinted upon her juvenile complexion, glinting her evident felicity of witnessing her parents’ reunion especially dancing together in the kitchen. “Mommy and Daddy! I love you!”

“We love you too, sweetheart!” They said as one by hoofing up to the little girl, bending down as they pecked an affectionate, tender kiss on her temple, consequently continuning with their dance by following the music’s cheerful rhythm.

“ _Yellow river, yellow river is in my mind and in my eyes_ _!_ _Yellow river, yellow river is in my blood it's the place I love_ _!_ ”

"Look at yourselves! Ya are splendid couple. Why aren't you married?" What the infant wondered was why her parents weren't eventually wed, besides she was in awe in the reunited unwed couple's dancing. 

No response was followed by her parents as they were utterly focused on the dance, devoting on the prominent, romantic moment they shared together.

"I didn't know you were a wonderful dancer, Tim! Your legs prove it!" Meantime she winked gamely at him as he spun her once again, seconds before taking steps backward and forward, smirking smugly, seductively.

"Oh, really?" He arched an eyebrow as their faces were scarcely inches away as his face flushed, sunk in sanguine tinges, airbrushing his searing cheeks. “To be honest, I have never danced in my life.”

“Are you really?” The middle-aged lady was beyond shocked by his response, in fact, she has seen hypnotizing results of his dancing.

“ _Got no time for explanations, got no time to lose_ _!_ _Tomorrow night you'll find me_ _!_ _Sleeping underneath the moon at yellow river_ _!_ ”    

“Where’s the photo camera to snap a photo of you?” Elsie rummaged in the kitchen drawers, in order to find the Polaroid photo camera and take a few remarkable photographs of her parents having a great time.

“Judy, rare bird,” The younger man mellowly stammered as they danced, holding her petite, pale and silken as vanilla hand into his larger, surprisingly warm and smooth hand. “Would you want a family photo with 3 of us or at least dancing together?”

“It would be a lovely piece of memory which we shall share it until we disappear.”

“Mommy! Daddy! Are you ready for a photo?” In this moment, the young girl lastly found the Polaroid photo camera after rummaging in one of the kitchen drawers by holding the camera by the both sides, aiming its camera up to them. “Say cheese!”

“Cheese!” The both adults yelled euphorically as they grinned, whereas following properly their horeography for the song.

“ _Yellow river, yellow river is in my mind and in my eyes_ _!_ _Yellow river, yellow river is in my blood it's the place I love_ _!_ ” The song ended as the infant snapped a handful of Polaroid photographs within seconds as the blonde turned off the radio before switching on the impending song by approaching her daughter with Timothy, watching the snapped Polaroid photos.

“Look at yourselves! Aren’t you wonderful together, Mommy and Daddy, are you?”

“Awww, thank you, sweetheart! It’s so sweet for taking this photo of I and yar Daddy dancing together.”

“Can’t we take a photo of our small, beautiful family, gathered altogether?” The former Cardinal suggested optimistically as a beaming smile loomed on his young-looking yet, fresh complexion.

“What a great idea! Why don’t we just do it right now?” Judy promptly accepted her love interest’s idea which inspired her to take a Polaroid photograph along. She jerked the camera from her love child’s hands in swift motion as she didn’t complain, nor whined any pleas.

“H-How we are supposed to take photographs by ourselves? I’m wondering if there are still any sticks for the camera.” Jude headed towards the drawers by inspecting them for any camera sticks as her fingers briskly rummaged every item until she found it by herself and closing its drawer, readjusting the camera, a couple of minutes before the family photograph. “We will be ready in 5,4,” The former sister of the church commenced counting the numbers until the photo camera snapped another Polaroid photograph of the entire family as Timothy dangled an arm around Elsie’s shoulder, whilst Jude stood alongside her lover by exclaiming out loud in unison “Cheese!” as their gawks were fixed on the camera.

An hour later after they spent some time along as a family in the kitchen, thereafter Elsie was with Esther as the hostess toured her around the gothic castle, whilst the both lovers were in the room.

In the meanwhile, the singer laid in the middle of her king-sized bed as she wore her mere, white as snow cotton nightgown with long sleeves, ankle length as she resembled a true angel even when her ringlet of golden curls was tied in a messy, casual updo, framing ideally her palish, angelic face. While Timothy was sorting some of the unsorted books on the grand bookshelf by sorting them by their authors’ names, his attention was utterly focused on his recent task.

“Elsie is a fantastic girl. I’m so proud of her not only she took photographs of us together dancing, but also for being always next to her in tough times.”

“I can’t agree more about his sweet little ray of sunshine but thanks to her, we’re a family along.” The former pious member of the clergy clarified, huffing in her mid-sentence without averting her hazelish-brown eyes from the former Monsignor. “If you exactly remember what I’ve told ya.”

“We’re family, of course, rara avis! It’s thanks to the afterlife and Elsie who united us again. Doubtlessly!” Meantime the younger man sorted Dante’s Literature by judging his books’ alphabet order by beginning from A to Z, inhaling calmly. Then he glanced in front of him as Jude was no longer laying on the king-sized bed as he was frantic behind her sudden disappearance. “Jude? Are you playing a revenge game for what I,” She cut him off as she wrapped her fingers around the sensitive, silken skin of his neck by choking him, her piercing honey brown pools glued on his chocolate brown eyes. Blood vehemently boiled in her veins as if a dragonbreath flared her nostrils. Her muffled, warm breath tickled his as pale as a lucid cloud complexion. Clunched ivory teeth gleamed past him as the brightest teeth shone in the darkest ebon room. “W-what are you,”

“Shu shu shu, Tim! Do you really consider yourself as a part of our small family with Elsie? Huh?” The singer enquired dramatically as their lips were barely inches away as their distance hasn’t diminished yet. “Who’s actually the murderah of our little, sweet girl, in order to save yar ass from the cops and Briarcliff’s investigation, besides you took one more soul into the purgatory with yourself, besides your previous 2 victims?”

What dumbfounded him was her direct, reckless speech which she aimed as an arrow right into the target, marking a bullseye at last as she drummed his toned chest with her balled fists, although he did nothing about the question since he has been a well disciplined gentleman, taught to not hurt representatives of the opposite sex as they were fragile, potentless compared to the males.

“Little did you know how crazy do you drive me!” The former devotional member of the church furthered with her utterance by hissing her snake tongue by silencing Timothy in a sultry, harder kiss.than the last time as she cupped his cheek, tracing with her fingers his well-defined cheekbone, whereas her other petite, tepid hand drifted up to his dark hair, running her fingers through it. His hands lowered to her waist by squeezing it in grasp. “Even if I was angry with ya, I couldn’t get you out of my mind because you’re a special man, Timothy!”


	6. Heaven (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jude and Timothy finally accomplish mutual atonement and they reborn in heaven with their daughter Elsie.

 

 

"At least, you've any feelings for me even if they're so conflicting!" Timothy whispered in honeyed voice with his decent, firm British accent, accentuated on his declaration as they shut their eyelids as they relished their romantic, sultry moment, being encompassed by their muffled moans, warm breaths, skins contacting along, tightly shut eyelids, due to the gradual building overwhelming pleasure and 2 sexes uniting. "I've always thought of you, in spite of my limited opportunities." He furthered between their sealed lips by lifting Jude up as he grasped her waist yet without dropping her on the floor unintentionally. Nonetheless, they didn't interrupt their ferocious kiss as it escalated as their wet tongues began dueling together until Timothy was on top of Jude as he laid her on the king sized bed as it bed springs commenced twanging, shaping a tune as it rang in their ears as the lovers grinded. The kiss deepened in a French, scrumptious one.

"You're a fool." The blonde murmured in velvety voice as she set free a muffled, honeyed moan, jingling unholy, sexy anthems in his sensitive ears as his berry-coloured, damp lips slithered slowly from hers by leaving a light saliva, dripping on the bottom, plumpish lip as his lips motioned below from her chin, following its marvelous, swan curve of her neck by licking it gently, relishing every inch of her swan, silky neck as she threw her head back, craned it by giving him a better access. In the beginning, he assaulted her neck with feather and light kisses until they grew ferocious, aggressive as he used his ivory, firm teeth by nibbling the silken skin of her neck. "Oh Jesus fucking Christ! That's so fucking good." The former sister of the church couldn't endure the elating pleasure which electroshocked her frail skeleton as goosebumps swept her mossy, satin flesh. Shivers conveyed her spine and body of peculiar sweetness and immense pleasure as it gradually built by her love's caresses, kissing and his essence, uniting with hers.

"A fool in love with you, rare bird!" He spoke as he didn't halt with the assault on her neck with fierily ferocious, chocolate molting kisses as the middle-aged woman kept her eyelids tightly shut without reluctantly opening them like blinds. Her mouth was incessantly opened as her hands cradled his head. Long, elegant, adroit fingers vigorously combed his chestnut hair. Light, girlish giggle escaped her lips. Their hearts heavily hammered in their chests, due to the unexplainable, fiendish pleasure they felt altogether as 2 compatitable souls's reunion and blending as a single paint with 2 tremendously different colors.

"Kiss me again!" She exceedingly, greedily begged in velvety voice after releasing dozens of muffled, silver-tongued moans which floated in the room, whereas Judy felt his tight crotch poking her abdomen lightly which aroused her insatiable, sexual appetite even more as if she was a savage animal.

In the interim, he moved up to her lips by capturing them in harsher, wilder kiss as one of his hands pawed her breast through her cotton white nightgown as his dexterous fingers lingered by squeezing its cotton fabric, feeling underneath his palm's touch its roundness, fullness, womanliness. Even her erected nipple underneath its palm pressure cried out for being released from the mundane, plain angelic nightgown as his index finger clicked by drastically changing her clothing in no time. It transformed it from the plain-vanilla, cotton ankle length gown into her satin ravishing red slip which she wore as a special outfit for him as an undergarment of her dark, wool, rigid habit which swathed almost every inch of her coconut milk, creamy flesh as it curvers weren't completely obliterated as its habit outlined the curve of her still firm breasts, slim waist and perfectly shaped legs.

Mellow, satin moans slipped away from her lips as she chewed his bottom lip until their kisses advanced, growing fiercely luscious as their tongues started dueling against one another again as she deepened the kiss into a French one as they shifted their poses. Meanwhile Judy pinned him with her weightless, bony weight as her hand lowered to his shirt's collar by unbuttoning his buttons until they gradually exposed his hairy, toned chest as she peeled off its discarded garment of his torso, tossing it on the carpeted flooring as her lips slowly glided from the journey of his lips down to his abs by peppering them with kisses as she ran delicately, velvety her hands all over his muscular torso, caressing it with her tender fingers each inch of it. Consequently he ran his fingers by fondling her shoulders as if its caress resembled a mother touching her newborn child's head by feeling his fingers tracing the curves of her well-defined, feminine shoulders, slender biceps.

"You're so perfect, my rare bird!" Timothy mumbled very softly like velveteen as if his tongue was made of velveteen and an incarnation of the delicateness. Made for complimenting the love of his life and deliver her with bewitching, blowminding orgasms, speaking volumes from the point of her body and soul's views.

"You don't have any idea who's actually the perfect whose abs are as firm as his rock hard cock." The former nun evoked in sultry, scoffing, honeyed voice as she licked his abs until her hands after their journey all over his torso, were unbuckling his belt and subsequently unzipping his slacks. Little did the former Monsignor know how her speech and manners were arousing even more his hard rock cock as its bulge intumesced through his trousers' crotch area, doing intoxicating, demonic wonders to him by tantalitizing him with something which he has almost never fantasizied about back in his mortal life especially as a devotional priest of the Roman Catholic church.

"Urgh!" He hoarsely grunted when she was yanking his trousers of his legs as he felt the freedom of being naked even the stark skin peeling for final time anything which clothed his flesh as one of her hands cupped his balls through his boxers' fabric, whereas her other one was squeezing his erected member as her lips glided through his abs until they peaked to his undergarment, opening grudgingly her eyelids as her darkened, cat eyes were fixed on him in dissatisfaction of the sole piece of garment which covered almost his naked body.

"I finally want ya inside me." The older lady muttered in husky voice without averting her gaze of his transfixed, noting her delirious dissatisfaction of not discarding his undergarment. "Now get this off!" She furthered by commanding sternly, cold-bloodedly as she withdrew her face from his lower abdomen by chewing her bottom, plumpish lip in tempting manner like tigress.

In the meantime, he obediently got rid off his lingerie which hugged his bulge as his hands peeled the spaghetti, thin satin strips of her nightie until they no longer braced her shoulders. Megawatt, succubus smirk flashed upon her face as they were getting rid of the last garments by tossing them on the floor carelessly as the king-sized bed became a battlefield. Battlefield of ethereal passion, lust, desire and sex!

As the spaghetti straps peeled her satin, pale arms, Timothy jerked the slip's top by pushing it, revealing her round, full breasts as he yet cupped them, lastly having the chance of feeling the mauve, erected nipple. Shortly after his erected member poked her abdomen as the blonde already sensed her folds drenched in dew of orgasm by pressing lightly her lips on his in a sensual, ardent kiss before moving down to tease his member.

Consequently her lips slithered from his lips, lowering by passing his neck, muscular, hairy chest and abs until her lips felt the rough, callous skin as she wrapped her naturally rosy-coloured lips around his members by putting it in her mouth to tease him with her masterful, lustful lips. Meantime the former holy man arched his neck by clutching shut his eyes. Soft, raspy moans heaved from the top of his brittle lungs, boating up in the bedroom as it decibels magnified within seconds, incapable of controlling its decibels of his radioactive moans.

"Oh fuck!" Groans and moans incessantly lingered on his tongue as he untied her tied in messy updo hair by releasing it from its knot. Ringlet of old Hollywood gilded tresses, cascading down her bare, milky as ghost upper back, lightly tickling her shoulders. He fisted her ruffled ringlet of golden curls in his mammoth, secure hands by giving her better access to his manhood. "You're amazing, my rare bird!" The former Monsignor fessed as he sluggishly uttered each syllable, unable to catch his breath. She succumbed him with the blowjob she was giving him. Electrifying not only his body, further, his cock as it hankered to fill her, feeling it by contracting his with its soaked walls and criminally thrust into her by increasing its pace as she musters up and reach their climaxes.

"I'm honored!" Her hazelish-brown eyes were darted to his as they were fulfilled with diabolic lust, maniacal desire and unconditional love. Darkness overlayed them as if the demon or the succubus, herself, scrutinized her recent prey of the unhallowed adultery. Prey of the succumbed sexual pleasure which would be the reason of his death. The motion of his cock in her mouth increased its pace as if he actually fucked her mouth. What the middle-aged lady would adore was Timothy to come in her mouth and spill his seed inside her oral cavity, savoring his mouth-watering semen. "Do you have any idea how crave you to come in my mouth? Besides to taste your semen?"

"I think I've an idea, Jude!" The younger gentleman replied through a light, coy guffaw giggle.

"Don't be too cocky and smarty pants! You hardly have any idea what honor would be to taste this cum of yours in my mouth as it lingers on my tongue. How about yar wishes?"

"We will see this, sexy beast! I'd love to taste your juicy juices as they dance on my lips of your tightness as I salivated and yearned for tasting it. You are more yummy than the coq-au-vins which you cooked for me." He panted by inhaling inwardly as waterfall of vomited moans and groans motioned through his lips. He wasn't able to open his eyes due to the immense pleasure which built in his body.

"Do not insult my cooking, Monsignor! Or if I had this cane of mine," The former holy woman hissed with her snake, sly tongue by winking at him, biting her bottom lip by trying to be as sexy as possible for him. She jeered at him by addressing him with his ecclesiastical title until he cut her off in her mid-sentence curtly.

"If we were in charge again, you'd be the one who should be murderously caned since you're a naughty sister." Timothy said in sneering, sarcastic manner as the both lovers couldn't help but chuckle mirthfully along. "Weren't you a naughty, very naughty sister, were you?" He proceed with his rhetorical question as he cocked back his head when she returned to her process. Teasing his cock with her lips and tongue as one of her hands cupped his tight balls in one of the palms of her hands, whereas her other hand straddled his legs.

"How do you think, Monsignor?" Her tongue circled around his manhood's tip by observing his mimics which wore succumbence of ginormous carnal desire and lust as louder, softer moans and groans zinged out of his lips.

"Oh fuck!" The former man of the cloth roared as he verged his climax to spill his seed inside her mouth. "Jude, I'm com-" He was scarcely in his mid-sentence until he came into her mouth as she withdrew her face of his member by releasing it, savoring his semen by licking greedily, defiantly by humming melodiously content, glorious tunes with her eloquent, heartmelting voice.

"Mmmm! You taste...mmmm,yummy!"

Subsequently they shifted their positions as he was on top of her, pinning her slender, weightless body as their eyes met, locking up her alluring, ardent gaze which was transfixed on him. His actions, body language, manners.

"You're so beautiful, my rare bird!" In this moment, his mammoth, smooth hand reached for her mane of aureate curls by stroking them gingerly by admiring its softness of her lion mane, ideally framing her angelic, pale, porcelain complexion with its natural beauty. A beaming, ivory smile danced on his lips as his legs straddled her almost bare body as its ravishing red slip covered her lower abdomen and mid-thigh.

"Only if I was out of this." His finger clicked, doing enchanting marvels in a jiff as she was naked. Literally entire his as his eyes widened at the sight. Seeing Jude naked was his dream come true at last. He hasn't seen her naked or she played as a protagonist in his dreams by visiting them especially stark or wearing her bloody red nighttie. What the former holy man has wondered was actually what her body looked like without the rigid, conservative clerical church attires which she was obligated to wear as a daily outfit in Briarcliff though little did he know what she was exactly wearing under that habit of hers. In the interval, she spread her legs and arms loosely as if she resembled a snow angel. "You can touch me. I'm all yars."

"Only mine!"

"You're also mine. I'm your holy whore, your Vatican wife or whatever you call it. Just be natural!" The blonde clarified in velvety voice as his hand still stroked her long wavy honey hair as his colossal, milky hands lowered to her cheeks by cupping them as his fingers traced her well-defined cheekbones, admiring her ethereal, sacred beauty. Her beguiling smile shone by glinting scintillating nuances into his warm chocolate brown eyes of happiness, love, desire and lust.

Timothy relished the moment of tracing even caress every inch of hers as she was entirely his. At the same time, he was beyond spellblinded by her unarguable beauty. Inescapable for his chestnut brown eyes which were transfixed on her figure especially her gorgeous face which he has always seen since their first encounter even if her ringlet of old Hollywood silky tow-colored wavy tresses. In front of him, there was a real angel. Wan, lustrous as snow flesh. The beddable curves of her waist and hips. The firmness, roundness of her full breasts even if she has breastfed a few times Elsie and struggled with her first, nevertheless fatiguing pregnancy. Her long, dazzling as towers legs as they show lack signs of aging, stretch marks and wrinkles. In short, his right hand was perfect.

Throughout his hands move down as his fingers traced up and down her swan neck until his fingers were met with the roundness of her breasts by pawing the one, whereas his tongue circled her her mauve, soft areola as his lips were wrapped around her erected nipple, kissing it until the former Monsignor scrapped it, causing her embarrassed frequent, megawatt moans and groans levitate in their room as she threw her head back, craning her neck.

"Oh holy fuck, honey! Don't stop!" The middle-aged lady insisted recalcitrantly as she balled her fists, her manicured toes curled up and cradling his head, running her fingers through his dark, slightly shaggy hair. "Fuck yeah!" Another scrap hit her as if the singer was sitting on an electroshock chair, feeling an earthquake as it resembles a reccuring seizure.

"Do you like it?" The former Cardinal inquired excited as a little boy by surveying her look which she wore on her face.

Then she just sighed, huffing mildly exasperated by the opulent questions, nonetheless, impending responses on them.

"Stop asking and just enjoy your time, darling!"

"You're so sexy, my rara avis! Tell me what do you desire for now."

"Treat me like yar slut! Yar holy whore. And tease, and fuck me like as you've always wanted." Furthermore, she was beyond flattered by his compliment for not only calling her sexy, but also beautiful which molted her heart as its searing flames ignited the sandcastles of the stone heart she used to possess and the barrier. Barrier, shielding her against the feelings of the fervent love and the damned feeling of falling in love. Barrier, keeping her wits about each representative of the opposite sex who might be a handsomer with benevolent nature, nonetheless having the appearance of a heartbreaker. Stone heart, which she planted in her ribs after joining the church and being part of the ecclesiastical duties for the church, her vows and Mother Claudia's sake. Stone heart, contrasting her vacuum heart which she once possessed after her former fiancé dumped her and vacuum heart, made of nothing than dust which incarnated once its splendor and color that mottled it. Vacuum heart, hunting for love and somebody to fuel her heart with love, affection and warmness she has itched for ages after galore heartbreaks, sorrow, desolation and melancholies.

Instead of bickering with her, due to her provocative declaration, he just kept on with his teasing process by cherishing each romantic and sensual moment they've whelmed themselves in the mist, hazy but profound seas of the halcyon, sultry waves, which collided on the tow-coloured sands, sheeting the beach's ground.

Thereafter his lips slithered at a slow pace from her hard, wee nipple down to her small stomach, licking all the way down to her belly until his tongue tipped her slit by pecking feather and light kisses on her swollen clit, using his firm teeth by nibbling the sensitive skin of her nerves in ferocious manner as she heaved breathless, inebriating moans and groans of pleasure and pain the same time once his teeth contacted her clit. He closed tightly his orbs by relishing the moment of eating her out.

"Oh my fucking God! You're amazing, Timothy! Don't stop eating me!" The middle-aged mother persistently cried out. Little did Jude know what he's capable of. In the meanwhile, his tongue slided inside her slit, sucking her out damp folds as his fingers caressed by fondling her hipsby spreading her long, elegant legs.

"Mmmm!" Meanwhile the younger man pushed his tongue inside her core, sensing the protracted juices of hers contacting his wet tongue, thrumming angelic, hallowed hymns in her ears by jingling soft, chirping tunes. "Oh God! You're so tight, rare bird!" Then he inserted a couple of dexterous, callous fingers inside her core by thrusting them in and out.

"You're damn right! Ya have a task." What she hasn't forgotten was actually cautioning her warning towards him in honeyed, panting voice as her petite hands drifted up to her boson, cupping her round, full breasts, sensing the pressure of her palms squeezing her erected, mauve, tiny nipples and her core's walls contracting his fingers.

Shortly after teasing her core with his fingers and sweet mouth, hence, the blonde yearned for his length to fill her core and milk her dry.

"For heaven sake, I eventually want you inside me!"

Instead of rebelling against her plea by blandly quarreling in heating debates, he withdrew his face from her core by massaging on circles her hard clit, teasing it by pinching. Electrifying shivers conveyed her body of sweetness, immense pleasure as she verged to reach her climax, building gradually even drastically. After teasing her, her legs lastly clasped around his waist as she was almost ready to ride his crotch by positioning his member at her entrance by snaking her arms around his muscular, strong shoulders, clung to him.

Seconds before the initial, slow, soreful thrusts, they admired one another's faces, their shining, smug smiles, cracked on them. Their glistening pools with bright hues of its genuine colors which exposed her veritable emotions and feelings. Thronging whirlpool of anathematized feelings such as love, desire, lust.

"You're so handsome, sweetie!" One of his colossal, secure hands cupped her breast, whilst the other one had it on her hip, squeezing it.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, my rara avis!" The former priest complimented her softly as she couldn't repress instinctive, idle chew of her bottom lip in tempting manner as she felt his length filling her core.

Seconds later, at first his thrusts were painful and slow until Jude mustered up as hive of honeyed moans escaped from the top of her lungs as the both lovers were unable to catch their breaths. The blonde closed her hazelish-brown eyes as his thrusts became quicker and less painful than moments ago. The soaked core walls contracted his plugged manhood. In the meantime, her manicured in ravishing red nails scrapped all over his back, leaving welts and grazes on his flesh. Marks of the beast. Marks of a tigress.

“Oh fuck! You’re so tight.”

“Don’t stop, please! That’s damn good.” The former sister of the Roman Catholic church emboldened him as she struggled to spell any syllable by riding him since she was on cloud nine.

In the interim, Timothy was watching the moment of thrusting in and out inside her. Her lion mane of gilded tresses and breasts were bouncing up and down with each swift, frequent and vigorous motion. His luscious, berry-coloured lips actually salivated in the sight of her bouncing halo honey ringlet and breasts, darting his chocolate brown eyes on his lover’s tightly shut eyelids.

“Open your eyes! Just for a while.” The former man of the cloth ordered in unrelenting way without raising his voice as skin contacted other skin. Two essences interweaved along.

Meantime she opened her eyes as chocolate met honey brown, locking up her orbs without averting his from hers.

“What was this for?”

“Don’t ask a lot, rare bird! You’re gorgeous. I love it when we’re looking into each other’s eyes.” Jaunty, lovely grin curled up in the corner of his lips.

“I love it either, Timothy!” Their climaxes were approaching as the final, fatal thrusts inside her core were as lethal as his spilled seed inside her which she savoured as their groans and moans unabatingly floated in the room. The surroundings around them were too oblivious and blurry for them in the mist fog, clouding them in the background. Fortunately, they were the only inhabitants in this room. For their own luck, Elsie wasn’t there, nor anybody who’s part of the afterlife duties. “Oh fucking God! You’re so damn sexy. You’re the best!” She heaved another agog cry as it felt like paradise.

“Oh, holy shit!” In this moment, his semen was spilled inside her core at last as he plugged out his member of it as her violated slit oozed his seed, webbing it in sticky dew. The both lovers collapsed as Timothy pinned Judy’s chest. They were momentarily opting to catch their breaths. 

“I’d like to make a confession.”

“What’s your confession, darling?” The younger man posed the question by effortly panting as he rolled on the other side by laying alongside together on the king sized bed after making love to one another.

“I’d like to apologize for everything terrible I said and did to you. For my ire in general when I needed to listen to you the most. Even when you confessed you murdered Elsie just to protect yourself from the authorities. I was so impulsive to the scars on my soul of your betrayal, ya know.” The older lady fessed softly as their hearts heavily pulsated in their chests until seconds later they gathered from the ground their discarded garments and lingerie by dressing up themselves again by sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed.

“I’m not blaming you for this fury of yours which oozed of you at all. It was my entire fault for messing your and Elsie’s lives especially yours. You deserved much better.”

“Stop apologizing, Timothy! Of course, ya are being forgiven.” Meanwhile, she patted affably, lightly his shoulder as in a single click of his finger he was dressed up in the same neat clothes just before getting rid of them onto his body. “I forgive you!” She whispered mellowly. Once the former nun put on her red slip and underwear, she reclined on the bed by ushering the former man of the cloth to lean down.

“W-what did you say? Y-You forgive me?”

“I do, of course!” As he docilely bended down, their faces and lips’s proximity were scarcely inches even centimeters. They were rather millimeters away from one another. Chocolate brown links with hazelish-brown. She cupped his jawline in the palms of her hands, whereas his cupped her cheeks. A reassuring, serene smile distorted across their lips. “We live only once. Not only as mortals, but also as spectrals. I cannot let you just go whether in heaven or hell without earning my forgiveness.”

 

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A several minutes later, the lovers were beyond anxious for Elsie since Esther toured her around the gothic chateau and nonetheless, they sensed prejudices assaulting their train of thoughts as they were happily holding one another’s hands by pacing in the dim light in gothic, retro glowing lights the long, abysmal corridors of the castle. They achieved a mutual atonement though they were more than determined soon to flee the purgatory with their daughter and being transported into their new home where they genuinely belonged. It’s actually heaven since their heavenly redemption.

Their first task before leaving the purgatory was to find their daughter and the wretched, somber souls of the sacred place, in case to mutually redeem.

As soon as they descended the stairway to the first floor, they strolled up to the goth bar as the hallways werent’crowded at all. As they pushed the double bar door, their sparking eyes were fixed on the bar in general. Elsie, Mary Eunice, Elsa, Frank and Melinda were sitting on the high bar stools, whilst Esther, the hostess herself was the bartender this time, pouring in the empty scotch glasses of Frank and Elsa some mere rom as its sinful, mouth-watering aroma of rom overspread in the bar immediately. In the interval, music played in the background.

“ _Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone_ _!_ _Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you_ _!_ _I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song_ _!_ _I just can't remember who to send it to_ _!_ ” Fire and Rain by James Taylor played recently inside the bar’s background as his eloquent voice and the fiddled guitar stings mingled in the song as one.

“Hey you birds in love!” The black-haired woman evoked as the couple earned not only Esther’s prompt attention, moreover the former cop, the former freak show owner, the former young nun and their daugher’s attentions as well within seconds since they set a foot in the bar. “Look who’s there in the bar!” She winked at them gamely by giggling inwardly to herself.

“The perfect love!” The younger lady exclaimed beyond elated by Jude and Timothy’s love by admiring their genuine romance which melted her brittle, vulnerable heart. An innocent, content smile spread across her naturally rosy-coloured lips, gluing her sapphire blue eyes at them without reluctance.

“Elsie?” The both parents approached their daughter by embracing her tightly, warmly for a split second by bending down to pepper her temple with tender, doting kisses.

“Thank you for the drinks, Esther!” Her recent clients received their beverages at last by sipping of them eventually, whilst Esther nodded by affirming their kindness.

“I love you, Mommy and Daddy! Much more than anything!”

“We love you more than anything, our little, sweet ray of sunshine!” The parents broke off the hug with their sole daughter by pinching playfully, merrily her button nose, thereafter shifting their astounded looks they wore on their youthful, pale faces up to the hostess as their smiles froze suddenly. “Esther! I didn’t know in the bar the kids are allowed.” The middle-aged lady cautioned panicked as she arched an elegant eyebrow, seating next to her daughter as Timothy sat alongside her.

“Don’t be silly, dear! I’ve changed the rules there.” The black-haired woman winked at the former sister of the church by extending a cigarette pack by offering the couple cigarettes as they accepted unsolicitedly as they offered sympathetic smiles at her, forming a crescent dancing upon their complexions. Consequently she light their cigarettes as they leant and taking their first drags of their cigar lengths, blowing dim in other direction without envenoming their daughter with its smoke’s severe stench.

“ _I've seen fire and I've seen rain_ _!_ _I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end_ _!_ _I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend_ _!_ _But I always thought that I'd see you again_ _!_ _Won't you look down upon me, Jesus_ _!_ _You've got to help me make a stand_ _!_ ”

“What happened to the French barman who was usually there?” The younger man questioned quizzically.

“Well, he’s being busy with personal problems and that’s why I’m here. Otherwise if he’s there, Elsie wouldn’t be there since in the bars until you aren’t 18, you’re being forbidden from entering here.” Esther explained in hoarse voice.

“Oh! That makes sense. Elsie is a lucky girl.” The middle-aged mother replied plainly, taking a second drag of her cigarette by sighing a sigh of relief. “At least, you’re so liberal and permit children to enter there.”

“Well, this goth mansion is my property and I’d do whatever I want to.”

“Jude?” The much younger blonde yelled as she drew instantly her former tutor’s attention as their eyes met, locking up her stare.

“Mary Eunice? Yar back finally.”

“Yes. I and Timothy redeemed ourselves, in order to forgive one another. And I want to tell you three words. I’m so sorry.”

The former holy woman just nodded humbly, smiling radiantly by feeling special after her former favorite nun expressed her shame and apologise which she has owed her for a long time.

“Ya don’t need to apologise, Mary Eunice. I don’t blame ya for the mess. It was the devil’s fault. For residing yar body and commanding you doing unbelievable things which Mary Eunice would never do with her both, bare hands.”

“I told ya the forgiveness unlocked the key to the imminent step of the new chapter of your book, based on your relationship.” The German emigrant cautioned by sipping her rom, subsequently licking greedily her lips as she felt the alcohol burning the corners of her mouth by relaxing her organs and body in general. The British emigrant turned to the German lady as their gazes crossed. Chocolate meets hazel.

“ _You've just got to see me through another day_ _!_ _My body's aching and my time is at hand_ _!_ _I won't make it any other way_ _! I_ _'ve seen fire and I've seen rain_ _!_ _I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end_ _!_ _I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend_ _!_ ”

“You were particularly right, Elsa. I’d like to thank you for your council and your words back then. It means so much to me.” The former member of the clergy took a puff of his nicotine length by blowing vague dim, smiling sheepishly, happily as his other free hand fonlded his daughter’s mane of chestnut tresses, admiring its softness.

“Elsa?” The native Bostonian exclaimed merely.

“Hmm? Ja, Judy?”

“I owe you an apology for not believing yar words in the beginning. I thought the forgiveness would be impossible task for both of us but it seemed like a piece of cake since I’m looking back in the past. I mean when my bile rose up in my throat.”

“It’s alright, my darling! At least, you can be at peace with yourself, Judy!”

“Judy and Frank! You deserve my thousands of apologises for everything atrocious I did to you.” The adolescent directly apologized the both middle-aged adults as they yielded to forgive the juvenile blonde.

“It’s alright, little sister! You’re being forgiven.”

 

********* **

****

After spending their final moments in the bar as the unwed couple and their love child were beyond bitterly gleeful for spending them with the people they love and rely on the most even if they know them personally the least, at least they were more than determined to flee the determinal place within minutes before saying goodbye to the others after towering the stairs for the third floor and gathering the ensemble in the observatory.

The former pious members of the church and Elsie were not only being encircled by Frank, Elsa, Melinda and Mary Eunice, but also by Esther, the owner of the gothic chateau.

“This supposed to be a farewell one.” The librarian emphasized farewell by rubbing her head absentmindedly.

“Isn’t it a farewell one, Melinda? For their better sake by finding peace with themselves at last?” Esther took another puff of her mint cigarette, subsequently blowing dim, diffusing around the observatory.

“We will deeply miss everybody of you, regardless what do you think.” The former holy man said in velvety voice as his British, mellow accent accentuated on his last words by holding his lover and daughter’s hands, fitting perfectly into his larger, protective ones.

“It won’t be the same without you, Judy! Even both of you.” The former actress bit her bottom, bright pink lip by timidly ambling up to her speculated doppelganger, offering her a kindhearted, fonding smile, loomed on her lips.

“Unfortunately, our destiny has told us so to go in our new home. Howsoever, before going in the heaven, the farewell process is right here.”

“At least, you were spectacular and you deserve your own peace at least once in your afterlife.” The former police officer rejoinder optimistically, soothingly.

“We’re up to here. Thank you for being part of our journey for redemption as well!” In this moment, Jude, Timothy and Elsie hugged each inhabitant of the gothic mansion even the hostess herself. Some of the hugs endured for a split second. Whilst there were hugs which lasted even longer than a minute.

“At least, your peace is your fate. Be satisfied with your decisions which helped you to reach up to there.” Mary Eunice evoked.

“Fair enough! Thank you for everything buddies and we strongly appreciate each council of yours which we earned. Farewell!” In the interim, the couple and their love child vanished shortly after the older blonde declared formally as they vanished in the limbo like spilled glitter everywhere in the thin air.

 

********* **

Something soft as satin. Something even softer than a satin were laid down the unwed couple with their love child. Little did they know where they exactly laid. Their eyelids were shut like closed windows. Faint snores levitated in the grand, heavenly room where they were actually sleeping altogether gathered on the king-sized bed as its cloudy, white as snow velveteen blanket sheeted almost every inch of their bodies with exception of their head, neck and shoulders. It reeked of cream even more celestial. Perhaps white roses’s fragrance taunted their sensitive nostrils as they were asleep yet.

All of a sudden, 3 of them came to their senses at last by waking up along in the same time as they released an ordinary yawn until the lovers realized they wore much different garments in the heaven. They weren’t the same. They were cuddling into each other’s arms as Elsie was sleeping between them, turned to her mother’s side. The former promiscuous jazz nightclub singer’s silky honey mane of old Hollywood curls were ruffled on the pillow.

As she woke up to her lover and daughter’s faces, she couldn’t suppress a growing, ecstatic smile, forming on her lips, admiring their delirious grace.

“It’s such a joy waking up with yar blissful family, moreover when our treasure is in our arms.”

“For sure, rare bird! I love both of you more than my life.” He pecked a kiss on the top of the little girl’s head, thereafter pressing lightly, lovingly his lips on his lover’s, sealing them into an ardent, short kiss.

“I love you more than anything, sweetie! I’m so happy we’re together in heaven. In the kingdom of the angels. In the kingdom of the God servants. In the kingdom of those who’ve already redeemed themselves for their sins’ sake.” The middle-aged lady exclaimed jubilantly by giggling lightly like a schoolgirl, caressing her daughter’s cheek as her other elvish, warm hand reached up for his dark hair, running her fingers through it.

“You don’t have any clue how bloody happy I’m for earning your forgiveness and being together again even with our little sweet ray of sunshine.” Afterwards the both proud parents shifted down their orbs to the infant as she gawked at them uncertain, nonetheless her chocolate brown eyes glistened sparks of love, pure innocence and warmness. Childish orbs whose owners are solely Mary Eunice and Elsie. They were fountain or rather richness of munifiscence. They were pure, stainless souls as well.

“I’m much happier for uniting along as family and forgiving you as I held this as my own grudge for my misfortune.” Hence, the former holy woman took a deep breath by clearing her throat as their hearts molted of their honeyed words. “I love you, Timothy!”

“I love you much more, my rara avis!”

“Mommy and Daddy?” Suddenly their daughter evoked rhetorically, earning momentarily her parents’ inquiring looks they wore on their sanguine faces.

“Yes, sweetheart?” They asked in unison.

“I love you so much!”

“Aww! We love you too more than ourselves, Elsie! You are our whole world!”

 

_****The End** ** _

_**** _

****Thank you so much for this short journey by taking your time to read my story, besides voting and commenting! I genuinely appreciate each of this, dear reader!** **

****I really enjoyed this book.  I'm sorry for the sloppy ending, nevertheless I wanted to update it as soon as possible and not disappoint my most loyal readers as well.** **

****I will be back for other future book projects. If you're currently wondering on which book/story of mine is still in progress, it's actually Orphan in Limbo and if you haven't readen it yet, go and read it! I think you will like it as well.** **

****Thank you once again for everything!** **

****See you in the future book projects!** **

 

 

_Alex xoxo💞💞_


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